Living the Dream
by JohnKrasinskiLover
Summary: He needed her. And there was no way she would refuse him. New Summary Troyella
1. From France to Chicago

**A/N: Hello! Well this is my first story, and I'm quite nervous about putting it on here. I originally wanted to have the whole thing written before I posted it, but I really want to get some feedback before I continue. Anyway, on with the story!**

Chapter 1

_September 1996_

_ Fifteen hours after departing from France, 13 year old Gabriella walked down the exit ramp of the plane. When most would be complaining of backaches and popped ears, Gabriella could hardly stop smiling, She had never felt excitement like this. Today she was moving in with her role model, her Aunt Isabelle, and on Monday she would be enrolled in the best performing arts high school in America, Hampton Academy for the Arts. And best of all- she wouldn't have to deal with her poor excuse of a mother anymore. At this thought, Gabriella's smile widened even more, if that was even possible. It was at this moment that Gabriella realized just how much her life was changing. _

_ Gabriella was pulled from her thoughts by the voice she hadn't heard in person in almost 6 years. "Gabi!"_

"_Aunt Isabelle!" Gabriella ran to her aunt only to be engulfed in a huge hug._

"_Oh, Gabi, I'm just so happy you're finally here. You're going to love Chicago! And you're starting at Hampton on Monday! I'm so very proud of you. I hope you know that. And I know your mother is proud of you too." _

_ Gabriella's smile faded slightly. "You know Auntie, I'm finally here and the last thing I want to talk about is my mother. So come on, show me my new home!" Gabriella said as her smile returned to full force._

* * *

_Gabriella was still in shock. After Isabelle gave her the grand tour, Gabriella began to settle in to her new room. This house was what she had always wanted in a home. Sure, her house in Nice looked beautiful to most, but she had always thought it felt more like a museum. Her new home was a beautiful three-story brownstone and Gabriella still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she would be living there for at least four years. As she began to put away the clothes she had shipped to Chicago last week, the doorbell rang throughout the house. A minute later, Gabriella heard her aunt call her downstairs._

_ As she entered the foyer, her eyes were immediately drawn to the cutest boy she had ever seen. The boy sensed a new presence in the room and turned to see the girl he had been hearing about for weeks. Gabriella's breath caught in her throat as she looked into the most beautiful blue eyes she could ever imagine. _

_ "Gabi, these are our neighbors, Jack and Lucille Bolton, and their son, Troy. They'll be joining us for dinner tonight. Oh, and Troy will be starting at Hampton on Monday too!" Isabelle said._

_ Gabriella desperately tried to think of something witty to say. When that failed, she attempted a simple greeting, but all that came out was a weird gurgling noise she could only compare to a noise she heard her mother's poodle make once. The adults noticed the tension and Jack intervened before the teenagers embarrassed themselves anymore. "So Gabriella, your aunt said you've been living in France for a while?"_

_ Gabriella was pulled from the blue haze. "Yes, Mr. Bolton, my mother and I moved there when I was seven."_

_ "Please call us Jack and Lucille," Lucille said with a motherly smile._

_ "So you, like, speak French and stuff?" Troy would have slapped himself if no one else were around. '_That's the first thing I say to her? I am such an idiot,' _he thought_.

_ "Um… yeah. My mom spoke to me in English and French when I was learning how to talk… so um…yeah." The two stood there awkwardly and this time, Lucille broke the tension._

_ "Isabelle, how about Jack and I help you out in the kitchen while these two get to know each other."_

_ Gabriella and Troy looked at the adults in shock. _'You have got to be kidding me,' _Gabriella thought_, 'were they even in the same room just now?' _The three left for the kitchen, while Isabelle explained that night's meal._

_ After a few moments of tense silence, Gabriella finally spoke. "So you're going to Hampton too?"_

_ Troy released his breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding and his first genuine smile of the night appeared. "Yeah, I love acting. It's all I can imagine doing with my life. I mean, there's nothing like the rush I get when I'm on stage." He paused, realizing she probably thought he sounded like a crazy person. "So what are you going for?"_

_ "As much as they'll allow me to do. I've been singing since I was little and I just started writing my own music. I love acting and playing piano and musical theater, and God I should really shut up." Gabriella could feel her face flushing._

_ Troy couldn't help smiling at her enthusiasm. "No don't be embarrassed. Believe me, I've done plenty of rambling when the subject of acting comes up. I've never met anyone that could match how I feel about performing." Troy paused for a minute while sharing a smile with the beautiful, brown-eyed girl in front of him. "Yeah, I think we're going to get along great, Gabriella." _

_ And Gabriella couldn't help but agree._

* * *

_September 2008_

"Fils de salope! Bolton, get your ass in here!"

Troy groaned and dutifully followed the voice of his best friend for the past 12 years. He found her fuming in the kitchen and he immediately began to think of reasons he would need to run from the room. '_Emergency meeting with my agent. Audition. Diarrhea! Oh fuck, I'm screwed.' _He sighed. "Whatever it is, Brie, I swear I didn't do it."

"Oh so it was just some random person off the street that tracked mud all over my kitchen?!" Gabriella exclaimed as she waved her arms all around the room.

"Um… yes?" Troy replied hesitantly. Bad choice.

"Troy Bolton, you've only been living here for three days and I'm already ready to kill you! Any last words?"

"Brie, calm down! I'm sorry okay? I promise I'll clean up the mess right now."

"And…?"

"And I'll buy you a new pair of shoes."

"Accepted. Just try to keep things clean while your living here ok? You know how I feel about messes." Gabriella said while trying to hide a smile. She couldn't stay mad at the blue-eyed man in front of her. And after all, he would only be staying with her for a few months while his house was being remodeled.

"I'll do anything to keep the Gabriella that swears in French from appearing. That Gabriella scares the shit out of me," Troy admitted.

"Well at least you have some motivation now," Gabriella said with a wink.

"Oh now you're going to get it," Troy said as he advanced on Gabriella with outstretched fingers.

"Troy, no! I'm going to summon the foul mouthed me!" Gabriella screamed.

"I think these fingers can take her," Troy teased as he backed Gabriella into a wall. Suddenly something shifted and a new kind of tension filled the air. They stared breathlessly into each other's eyes for a minute until Troy leaned down and whispered in her ear, "You look gorgeous today, by the way."

Gabriella gasped and the distraction was all Troy needed. He began to tickle her and Gabriella could hardly contain her giggles.

"Okay… okay…I… give!" Gabriella managed to say while she gasped for breath. "Oh, Bolton, you are so going to get it when you least expect it. Now give me your credit card so I can get some shoes."

Troy reached into his wallet and handed his card to Gabriella. "You're lucky I love you so much," Troy said with his most charming smile.

"Yeah, yeah, just watch your back." And with that Gabriella sauntered out of the kitchen, only stopping to give a wink over her shoulder.

"I'm so going to get it," Troy mumbled as he set off to clean the kitchen.

**A/N 2: So what did you think? I know I didn't really get into what Troy and Gabriella are doing now, but I promise that's all coming up next! Please let me know if you like it or hate it. I can handle criticism, I promise!**

**Fils de salope- Son of a bitch**

**Also, check out my profile for a picture of the brownstone.**

Sarah


	2. Poofs and Blue Eye Shadow

**A/N: Well I hope you liked the first chapter. I hope this one starts to explain a little more. The first chapter was mainly just a glimpse into Gabriella's life. There will probably be a flashback in every chapter, but the story mainly focuses on the present. I hope you like this next installment! Also, the song at the end is Sober, by Kelly Clarkson.**

Chapter 2

"Gabriella, look over here!"

"Is it true you're pregnant?"

"Who's the father?"

"Yeah, that's original," Gabriella mumbled sarcastically while rolling her eyes. She was only buying a pair of shoes! What could be interesting about that? The privacy invasion unleashed by the paparazzi was one out of many things she would never get used to. The truth was, even after 6 years in the business, Gabriella still had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The paps she could handle because as hard as it was for her to grasp the fact that she was famous, she knew she was living her dream.

After graduation from Hampton, one of her professors recommended Gabriella for a role in a major movie musical. Hampton was, after all, the most prestigious performing arts school in the country. And graduating from the school with high honors definitely opened up many doors. To say that Gabriella was in shock after getting the part would be an understatement. A movie musical combined everything she loved about performing and she would actually be starring in one. So she left Chicago for 4 months to film in Australia. Being that far away for a long period of time was difficult for Gabriella. But she was doing what she loved and she knew that sacrifices were necessary.

There was hardly time to breathe after the film came out. This unknown girl fascinated the public, and most of all the industry. Not only was she the most beautiful girl to hit the big screen in a long time, but she was also down-to-earth and her voice was mesmerizing. Gabriella was offered another role, and again she left those she loved and continued pursuing her dreams. Role after role was offered to her and soon Gabriella was America's sweetheart. By this point, she was living in Hollywood, taking very little breaks between films. In 6 years she had starred in 14 films and showed no sign of stopping.

When Gabriella received a script for a small, independent film she instantly fell in love with it. It was probably one of the sexier movies she would ever make and that's what drew her to it. She longed to make a movie that would challenge her even more than the previous ones had.

The store manager who was currently giving her the star treatment pulled Gabriella from her thoughts. So she got back to her shoe shopping and after picking out a gorgeous pair of Louboutins, Gabriella ran through the paparazzi to her car and sped away. A few followed her, but that was nothing new. She lived in a heavily guarded neighborhood, so none of them could get anywhere near her house.

As she entered through the kitchen door, Gabriella immediately spotted a note on the counter.

_Gabriella-_

_After slaving away for hours on your floors, I decided to go buy some alcohol. Yes, you've finally driven me to the bottle. Don't worry, I'll get you that wine that you love so we can celebrate your new pair of shoes._

_-Troy_

Gabriella laughed softly and left to put her new shoes away. As she walked into her closet, a framed picture of Gabriella and Isabelle caught her eye. It was taken during one of their movie nights. They had just finished watching _Pretty Woman_ and had decided to emulate the makeup and hairstyles Julia Roberts had sported throughout the film. It was one of her favorite memories with her aunt.

* * *

_February 1999_

_"No it definitely has to be poofier. Hand me that comb," Isabelle managed to squeeze out through her laughter._

_"Well how about you? You were a teenager in the 80's! You should know how to wear that bright pink blush," Gabriella scolded with a smile on her face._

_"You're a smartass, Gabi, I hope you know," Isabelle joked._

_"Oh I definitely know. It's one of my best qualities," Gabriella said in a matter-of-fact tone._

_"There, it can't get much poofier than this. Hand me that hairspray," Isabella finished as the doorbell rang._

_"Oh we definitely have to both answer this. I'm not going to face whoever is out there on my own," Gabriella said as she got up off the couch._

_The two giggled as they walked to the door. They swung open the door to greet the boy gaping in front of them._

_"Right… I'm just going to turn around and walk away now," Troy said as he slowly backed up._

_"But Troy, you're going to miss the musical stylings of Bon Jovi!" Gabriella screamed after him as she burst out laughing, Isabelle already holding her stomach gasping for air, "Okay this is definitely better than _Dazed and Confused _night."_

_"Agreed. Now let's go work on your blue eye shadow," Isabelle said as she wrapped her arm around her niece's shoulders and the two walked back into the house._

* * *

_Present_

Gabriella sighed softly and walked into her music room. She sat down at her piano and shortly after her voice could be heard throughout the house singing a song she hadn't sung in 8 years.

And I don't know

This could break my heart or save me

Nothing's real

Until you let go completely

So here I go with all my thoughts I've been saving

So here I go with all my fears weighing on me

Three months and I'm still sober

Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers

But I know it's never really over

And I don't know

I could crash and burn but maybe

At the end of this road I might catch a glimpse of me

So I won't worry about my timing, I want to get it right

No comparing, second guessing, no not this time

Three months and I'm still breathing

Been a long road since those hands I left my tears in but I know

It's never really over, no

Wake up

Three months and I'm still standing here

Three months and I'm getting better yeah

Three months and I still am

Three months and it's still harder now

Three months I've been living here without you now

Three months yeah, three months

Three months and I'm still breathing

Three months and I still remember it

Three months and I wake up

Three months and I'm still sober

Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers

"I miss you," Gabriella whispered as her fingers slowed and then the music stopped.


	3. A Dance

**A/N: Well here's the next chapter! I'm happy to see that a lot of people are reading the story! I'm not going to ask for reviews. It's enough to know that people are reading it. But don't let me stop you! I think you'll like this one ;)**

Chapter 3

As Troy perused the aisles filled with alcohol, he marveled at how much his life had changed in the past 3 years. Just under 10 minutes ago, he was bombarded by the paparazzi as well as a group of 20-somethings asking for just one picture with the gorgeous Troy Bolton. Only 3 and half years ago, Troy had been a huge nobody. He was still getting work in small plays and that was more than enough for him. He wasn't in the business to become famous. He was in the business to do what he loved more than anything.

When his agent handed him a script for a new mocumentary about mundane life in a regular office for one of the major networks, he just got this feeling. He knew it was the part for him. When he got a callback, he was ecstatic. It was down to him and one other guy. He almost didn't get the part because he wasn't very average looking, which is what the producers originally wanted. But with some shabby suits and after growing out his hair a little longer, he had the part. Now his fame definitely didn't happen overnight. The show struggled in its first season, but luckily the network stuck with it. In its second season, the ratings blew up. And then Troy became a heartthrob. His blue eyes melted the hearts of women (and men) of every age.

After the extreme success of the show, Troy was offered parts in movies of all genres. He was able to break the mold of his television character and get roles in movies he loved. So when he was handed a script for the same independent movie Gabriella would be auditioning for, he was thrilled. He loved the character he would embody and working with Gabriella was definitely a plus. He was a little hesitant when he read the sex scene. But they were best friends and actors. They could handle it, right?

"Bolton, my man!" Troy heard from the other end of the aisle. A smile lit up his face and he turned to see his best friend walking towards him.

"Chad! It's good to see you man," Troy said as the two did their complex guy handshake.

"You too. So what did Gabi say this time that prompted you to come here?" Chad asked with a smirk.

"You know us too well. I uh… tracked mud all over her kitchen floor…" Troy stated sheepishly, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wow, you're an even bigger an idiot than I originally thought," Chad laughed.

"Thanks for that. Hey what are you up to tonight? Do you and Shar want to come over for some drinks?"

"Yeah definitely. Hold on, I'll give her a call," Chad said as he walked to the other end of the aisle.

Chad and Sharpay were Troy and Gabriella's best friends. And Sharpay also happened to be Gabriella's half sister. When Gabriella was a baby her father, Edward Evans, left Gabriella and her mother, Amélie. Then Edward moved to California and started a new family that included Sharpay Evans. Amélie changed her name back to Montez as well as developing the cold personality that Gabriella had to be put up with for 13 years. It was a frequent occurrence that Amélie criticized Gabriella's weight or appearance even though Gabriella was thin and beautiful even as an adolescent. What Gabriella eventually realized was that Amélie blamed Gabriella for Edward abandoning the two. Needless to say Gabriella thought 13 years on Amélie's house was 13 years too long. Sharpay and Gabriella met when Gabriella moved to California, and even though Sharpay was part of Edward's new family the two became inseparable. She began dating Chad, then Troy moved to California and the four became best friends. Sharpay and Chad married and the rest was history.

"Sharpay is totally up for it. So we'll be there around 7?" Chad asked.

"Sounds good. See you then, man," Troy said as he waved goodbye and walked to the checkout counter with a bottle of gin and Gabriella's favorite wine. '_Yeah she's definitely going to forgive me after this," _Troy thought with a smirk.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Troy walked through into the house only to hear the haunting voice of his best friend singing a song he hadn't heard her sing in 6 years. He slowly walked up the stairs as the song ended and he heard Gabriella whisper words that made his heart break. _I miss you. _Six years ago the unimaginable had occurred and Gabriella hadn't been the same since. Troy walked back down the stairs and then started back up again trying to make as much noise as possible. She would only be embarrassed if she knew Troy had heard her.

"Brie, are you up here?" Troy called out.

"Yeah I'm up here," Gabriella called back as she turned on her stereo so Kelly Clarkson's _Addicted _flowed out.

"Hey, what are you up to in here?" Troy asked as one of Gabriella's favorite songs hit his ears.

"Just listening to some music," Gabriella said softly and Troy could still see the sadness in her eyes. He knew he had to cheer her up somehow.

"Come on, let's dance," Troy said while his gorgeous smile lit up his face.

"Troy, don't be silly," Gabriella said, laughing.

"I'm serious. Come on, I won't take no for an answer," Troy said as he grabbed her hands and lifted her off of the piano bench. He slowly pulled her into his arms and it felt so natural for her to rest her head on his chest.

It's like I can't breathe

It's like I can't see anything

Nothing but you

I'm addicted to you

It's like I can't think

Without you interrupting me

In my thoughts

In my dreams

You've taken over me

It's like I'm not me

It's like I'm not me

Gabriella slowly lifted her head to meet Troy's eyes that had darkened a few shades. _'What the hell is going on?' _Gabriella thought as her heart started pounding in her chest.

I'm hooked on you

I need a fix

I can't take it

Just one more hit

I promise I can deal with it

I'll handle it, quit it

Just one more time

Then that's it

Just a little bit more to get me through this

Troy slowly lifted his hand to caress Gabriella's face and whispered, "Brie…" They slowly stopped swaying and stood there staring into each other's eyes. The song came to an end, but the two hardly noticed. Gabriella slowly lowered her hands that were around his neck to his chest. The two were mesmerized.

"Hey Bolton, Montez, where are you?" Chad called up the stairs.

Gabriella and Troy broke out of their trance and sprang apart. They avoided each other's eyes as Troy yelled that they were on their way down. Their eyes met for a split second and then Gabriella ran from the room. Troy stood there in shock.

"What the fuck just happened?"


	4. Just Friends

**A/N: Two in one day! This definitely won't be a regular occurrence, but I really wanted to get this chapter out. Hope you like it! **

Chapter 4

By the end of the night, the "situation" in the music room was pushed to the back of Gabriella and Troy's minds. By midnight, Chad and Sharpay had left and Gabriella and Troy were left in the living room sitting in front of the fire Chad and Troy had started earlier.

"You know, we start filming next week," Gabriella said softly so as not to disturb the peace that had settled in the room.

"How could I forget? My manager calls me everyday with a countdown to my 'greatest masterpiece.' His words, not mine," Troy joked and two shared a laugh. The two then sat in a comfortable silence until Gabriella's soft voice hit Troy's ears.

"We haven't really discussed the um… the scene that takes place in the hotel. Do you think we can make it look… natural?" Gabriella asked hesitantly, referring to their sex scene in the film.

"I think if anyone can act the shit out of this thing, it would be us. Come on, Brie. It's us. We're nothing if not natural," Troy stated fondly.

"I know, Troy, but…" Gabriella started.

"But nothing. We can do this, Brie. Now where's the confident beauty I know and love?" Troy asked with a slight smirk.

"She's here, smartass. Just… aren't you even a little nervous about pretending to basically… _fuck_ against a wall? I mean, acting or not, we're still going to be kissing and… moving against each other," Gabriella said as her cheeks flushed. Gabriella had never been so uncomfortable talking about sex with Troy.

"Yeah, with about 20 people watching, Brie. And have I ever told you how cute you look when you blush?" Troy asked as he slid slightly closer to Gabriella.

"Yes, many times, and don't try to distract me!" Gabriella admonished lightly.

"Yes, ma'am. I really don't know what else to say. We're going to be great, it's going to be hot, and nothing will change between us. Ok?" Troy asked as he leaned over to caress her cheek, exactly as he had a mere 5 hours ago. And just like that, the two couldn't help but remember the moment they had shared. Troy slowly removed his hand and sat up. "I should probably go to bed. Chad and I are playing basketball early in the morning."

"Yeah, okay," Gabriella said as she snapped out of her trance, "And I know you're right, Troy. We're going to 'act the shit out of this thing.'" And then she broke out into a fit of giggles.

'_God she's beautiful,' _Troy thought, and his eyes widened_, 'Shit, I really need to get out of this room."_

"I'm glad you find my logic so humorous, Montez," Troy said calmly to the gorgeous brunette in front of him. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and their eyes met briefly. He turned to walk upstairs only to look back briefly, "Goodnight, Brie."

Gabriella was left in the room holding her hand to the cheek where Troy's lips had just been.

"Goodnight, Troy."

* * *

"And you're shocked, why?" Sharpay said with a slight smirk on her face.

"What do you mean, why? We had a moment, Shar! Two, actually. This is a big deal!" Gabriella whispered frantically. The two women were out to lunch and the last thing Gabriella wanted was for someone to overhear their conversation.

"Oh please. You and Troy are MFEO," Sharpay stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I have no idea what that means," Gabriella said as her face scrunched up in confusion.

"Made For Each Other, obviously. Are you really that shocked?" Sharpay asked.

"Yes! We're best friends, not soulmates. We're not supposed to have moments!" Gabriella said a little too loudly.

"Okay, let's pretend for a moment that you've never thought about Troy romantically…"

"It's not pretend, Shar!" Gabriella loved her half-sister, but sometimes Sharpay pushed her a little too far.

"You mean to tell me you've never felt attraction to him? We're sisters, Gabi. Just calm down, and be honest with me. And yourself, for once," Sharpay said softly, hoping to calm Gabriella down.

"Fine. Of course I've noticed how attractive he is. And I suppose I have considered what it would be like to really _be_ with him, but our friendship trumps all of that. And now we have this sex scene in a few days…" Gabriella started.

"A sex scene?!" Sharpay all but screamed.

"Shar, keep it down! Yes, a sex scene. Troy and I talked about it last night, and he seems really confident that we can pull it off. And I really thought we could too. But now I'm having all these… _fluttery_ feelings and that makes things a hell of a lot different," Gabriella said softly.

"First of all, fluttery? I'm pretty sure that's not a word. And second, Troy is right that you two can pull it off. It's just the repercussions that you're worried about," Sharpay said with a sympathetic smile.

There was a slight pause, and then Gabriella spoke with a confidence, if somewhat false, she hadn't felt since the previous afternoon, "You know what, Shar. I really need to stop freaking out. Troy and I are best friends and nothing is going to change that." Just then, the waiter appeared with their food and Gabriella started eating.

'_I really doubt that,' _Sharpay thought as she looked at her half-sister skeptically. Suddenly a triumphant smirk appeared on her face that Gabriella didn't see. '_I am so going to win that bet.'_

* * *

"What do you mean, you and Sharpay have a bet?!" Troy shouted.

"Exactly that. We have a bet going on when you and Gabi will finally start beating around the fucking bush and fuck already. My words, not Shar's. And if you continue to have these moments with her at this rate, I'll definitely win," Chad stated calmly with a large smile, "Do you have any idea how many bets I've lost against that woman! I'm so going to win this one!"

"Okay, can you stop being an asshole for a minute and consider that these are our _lives _you and your wife are betting on? This is a stupid bet anyway, because you're both delusional! Brie and I are just friends. And the fact that we've shared a couple of moments doesn't matter. Nothing is going to change what we are," Troy said as calmly as he could.

"Listen, man, I'm not trying to upset you. I just think you seriously need to reevaluate some things," Chad said as gently as his emotionally stunted brain would allow.

"I just… it's Brie, you know? I can't risk what we have. Not after everything we've been through. And now we have this stupid sex scene that's stirring things up…" Troy started.

"Sex scene? Are you holding out on me, bro?" Chad asked.

"It's just a scene in this little movie we're doing. Brie and I talked about it last night and she's freaking out a little. And now I am too. When I first read the script, I didn't even consider that this could change our relationship. But we're actors! This shouldn't be a problem," Troy tried to convince himself.

"If that's what you think…" Chad started.

"Yeah, that's what I think. We're going to rock the scene, nothing will change, and someday we'll laugh at how freaked out we got," Troy said, "Yeah, we'll be totally fine."

With a shake of his head, Chad thought to himself, '_My best friend truly is an idiot.'_


	5. The Scene

**A/N: Well here it is! This is my first time writing any kind of smut, so I'm a little nervous. I hope it reads like I wanted it to. And I'm so happy to see how many hits this story is getting! Hopefully everyone who is reading likes it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this installment!**

Chapter 5

On the day that Gabriella and Troy would be filming The Scene, Gabriella woke with a feeling she hadn't felt in… well, _ever. _The fluttery feeling she had described to Sharpay was still present. As much as Gabriella didn't want to admit it, the prospect of kissing Troy was something Gabriella couldn't get out of her head. Filming had begun a few days earlier, and Gabriella and Troy had yet to film any scenes together. And, of course, the first one would be The Scene. Gabriella lay in bed for a few minutes thinking about her best friend's lips. '_Oh my god,_ _this isn't natural!' _Gabriella's brain screamed, '_What the hell am I going to do?'_

The subject of Gabriella's thoughts interrupted her internal freak-out, "Brie, are you up? We have to leave in 30."

"I'll be ready!" Gabriella yelled back in an unnaturally high-pitched voice. _ 'Could I be any more obvious?' _Gabriella thought,_ 'I seriously need to get a grip or this scene isn't going to work. I can do this. _We _can do this.' _And with that thought, Gabriella left to accomplish her morning routine.

* * *

Troy woke on the morning of The Scene feeling like a boy who was anticipating asking out his first crush. But Troy was a man, and he wasn't going to be talking to his first crush. He was going to be making out with his best friend in front of 20 people. '_It's acting, you idiot! This is my fucking _job,_' _Troy thought to himself, '_So suck it up and act the shit out of this thing.' _With a new smirk on his face_, _Troy left his room to make sure the subject of all his thoughts was up and getting ready for the day that would change everything.

* * *

"Alright you two, this is the climax of the entire movie, pun intended. I need to feel the heat. And most importantly, _you _need to feel the heat," the director said, "Now, you two obviously have chemistry, or you wouldn't have gotten the parts. So now you just have to feel it. I know I can count on you guys. Good luck!" he shouted as he began to walk back to his camera. He turned back and added, "I want this in one take, kids. It's going to be the most natural." Gabriella and Troy stared at the director's retreating form in shock.

"Shit, Troy…" Gabriella started.

"Brie, we can do this. And nothing is going to change," Troy said as he flashed the most confidant smile he could muster. The truth was that Troy was conscious of the fact that everything _would_ change after this moment. And he was terrified.

"Yeah, we can do this," Gabriella whispered as she walked to her place.

* * *

"And, action!"

Gabriella slowly opened the door to see Troy standing in front of her. She made a move to slam the door in his face, only to feel the door jam against Troy's foot.

"No, you're not getting rid of me that easily. We need to talk about this," Troy demanded.

"There's nothing to talk about! You betrayed me! There's a reason why I never told my mother about that night. And now you've ruined me," Gabriella said, her voice dripping with hate.

"No, you have to understand…"

"There's nothing to understand! You're nothing to me," Gabriella tried to shut the door again, but Troy entered the room and pushed Gabriella against the wall, his hands on either side of her head.

"You're lying," Troy whispered into her ear as he lightly traced it with his tongue and bit down.

"Please don't," Gabriella protested weakly. Troy responded by biting down on her pulse point. He needed her to see how much he cared.

"You're everything. And I'm not letting you go," Troy whispered frantically as he traced her lips with his tongue and didn't even wait for her to respond before he shoved his tongue deep in her mouth. He grinded their pelvises together and neither could suppress the deep, guttural moans that resulted. At this point, the best friends could hardly see the fuzzy line between their characters and themselves.

"Oh, God," Gabriella whispered against his lips and their lips melded back together, their tongues probing deep. Troy grabbed her ass and lifted her petite body so Gabriella could wrap her legs around his waist. This only brought their pelvises closer together and the two couldn't help moving frantically against each other.

"I need you," Troy begged between gasps, "Please. Right now." Gabriella answered his pleas by reaching down and lifting Troy's shirt over his head. Troy didn't waste a second before reciprocating to feel skin against skin. He wanted nothing more than to remove that last barrier, but the smidgeon of conscious thought he had left reminded him that this was not a porn film. But God, he wanted his best friend more than anything. He knew he needed to get them to the bedroom, so he turned around only to feel Gabriella's legs tighten around his hips, rubbing harder against him. He moaned and slammed her back against another wall. He was harder than he could remember ever being and he knew she could feel it. Thankfully Gabriella's body was blocking his lower half from view.

"Bedroom. Now," Gabriella gasped out, trying her best to remember that they were supposed to be acting. Troy stumbled down the set hallway, and finally made it to the "bedroom." Both vaguely heard the director yell, "CUT!" Troy slowly loosened his grip so Gabriella could slide back to the floor, their lips still connected. The kiss softened and the two pulled apart slowly. They could hear footsteps coming closer, and they immediately backed away from each other, blue meeting brown in shock. Gabriella lifted her hand to her lips and turned to the director who had entered the room. She could see his mouth moving and assumed by the smile on his face that he was pleased with their work. But Gabriella wasn't listening. And Troy wasn't doing any better. He was staring at his best friend, completely mesmerized. Then suddenly he realized that he had a "situation" to take care of. A situation his _best fucking friend_ had caused.

"I need to uh… use the washroom," Troy stuttered and he ran from the room as inconspicuously as possible.

"Well Gabriella, I'm very happy with this take and I think the producers will agree. And the good news is that we got all that we need. Any other take will just seem phony. So go home and relax now. We'll see you tomorrow!" And the director left the room, as his whistling filled the air.

Gabriella continued to stand there in shock, slightly shaking from the arousal Troy had caused. She knew that what had just happened was the hottest experience of her life. And if she was honest with herself, she could admit that she hadn't needed to use any of her acting skills. The scene was completely natural, as everyone had hoped, but it wasn't acting.

Gabriella left the set and began the walk to her car through the studio hallways. And that was when she ran into a solid block. She looked up in shock only to see the man who took her breath away mere minutes ago. They continued to stare at each other, completely speechless for first time since they had met in Chicago.

"We drove here together," Troy blurted out.

"Yeah, um, the same car so that means we uh… drove together?" Gabriella finished weakly, kicking herself inside for sounding like such an idiot.

"Yeah. Same car," Troy concluded, "So we should probably… head home. I mean, home as in your house. Where I currently live. While my house is being remodeled. So it's not really my home. Just the place where I live," Troy rambled. Then he nodded and turned around sharply, starting towards the parking garage.

Gabriella watched his retreating form and admired his ass. _'Holy crap, I'm lusting over my best friend's ass. I am in way over my head.' _Gabriella sighed and followed the path Troy had taken.

And as he walked away, Troy's only thought was, _'Fuck.'_

**And JohnKrasinskiLover runs away and blushes**


	6. Theripization

**A/N: Okay so I really didn't think I'd put out another chapter seeing as I have an enormous amount of studying to do, but I wanted to knock out this little filler. I guess I'm spoiling all of you! I know I said that I wouldn't do 2 chapters in one day after yesterday, but I guess I fibbed. :-) Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy! **

Chapter 6

After the extremely awkward car ride home, Gabriella and Troy retreated to their rooms and didn't leave until the next morning. Both were still reeling from the kiss and needed time to think. And after 12 hours of "thinking," neither was anywhere near figuring out what was going on between them. So both did the sensible thing. They called their respective best friends and demanded emergency meetings.

* * *

"Oh my God, that is so fucking hot! And in front of all those people! Talk about voyeurism…" Sharpay squealed.

"Yes, it was hot, I'm not going to lie about that. But Shar, this is life-altering. He's my best friend and I'm having all these feelings and I don't know what's going on and he just has those fucking perfect blue eyes that just… take my breath away. The eyes that have always been there but have never affected me like this and just... okay you can stop me from rambling any time now!" Gabriella pleaded.

"I'm sorry, you were just really entertaining and I didn't want it to stop! But I can totally put on my Dr. Phil hat and um… therapize you!" Sharpay finished proudly.

"Therapize? That's definitely not a word," Gabriella said with a small smile.

"Hey, I let you get away with 'fluttery.' So anyway, let's start the therapizing session. Is this just lust?" Sharpay finished seriously.

"That's what I keep asking myself. But can it only be lust when he's the most important person in my life? When he's _everything_ to me. And he was there for me during the whole… well you know. I mean our friendship is just… perfect. So how can it only be lust?" Gabriella finished.

"Gabi, I think you might already have your answer." Shar said, offering a sincere smile.

Gabriella slammed her head down on the counter in frustration. "Yeah tonight is definitely an ice cream binge night. Come on, I hear Ben and Jerry calling."

* * *

"Wow. For once, I am actually speechless," Chad said with a stupid grin on his face.

"Yeah, that doesn't help me at all," Troy groaned, frustrated with the crazy-haired man in front of him.

"Well, what? Do you just want to fuck her? Or is it more than that?" Chad asked.

"I could never fuck Brie, Chad. She's just… _everything_. It would never be just a fuck," Troy stated as calmly as he could.

"Okay fine, do you only want to have sex with her?"

"I don't know," Troy sighed, "That's the question that's been eating away at me. How can I just want to sleep with her after everything we've been through? After what happened 6 years ago, we're as close as two friends could possibly be. I don't think it could ever be _just sex_, you know?"

"Dude, I think you have your answer," Chad said with sincerity.

"Yeah, and that's what scares me," Troy stated honestly, "Okay, it's definitely time to play some ball until we're too tired to stand."

"Great. I'm just thrilled," Chad said sarcastically, and the two started the walk to the courts.


	7. Need

**A/N: I'm seriously blushing now... Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

While Troy accomplished his goal of playing basketball until he was too tired to stand, it did nothing to take his mind off of Gabriella. Frustrated, he made his way home and into the shower before collapsing on his bed in exhaustion. He woke 6 hours later only to see that it was almost 3 AM. Troy sat up and rubbed his eyes while the cloud of sleep slowly lifted. At that moment, his stomach let out a loud growl reminding him that he hadn't eaten in over 14 hours. He lifted himself off the bed, stretching out his sore muscles as he left his bedroom. He made his way downstairs and noticed that the light was on in the large room. He quietly approached the entrance only to see the woman who had been plaguing his thoughts sitting on the counter with a carton of ice cream.

_'Fuck, can those even be considered pajamas?' _Troy asked himself, astonished at his very physical reaction to his best friend's attire, which consisted of a silk camisole and matching silk shorts._ 'I should go back to my room, right? There's no way I can handle being close to her when she's dressed like that. Oh my God, she's not wearing a bra. I definitely need to get out of here."_

He turned silently to make the trip back to his room when he stepped on a creaky floorboard. _'Fuck.'_

"Troy?" Gabriella called out hesitantly.

He turned around slowly and walked into the room, "Yeah it's me. I was just uh… food. I need food. For sustenance. And vitamins. Those are important right? And uh… so those are pajamas?" Troy blurted out. He set a mental reminder to slap himself once he was alone.

"Yes. And you consider those Crayola boxers to be masculine enough for you?" Gabriella fired back. Troy couldn't help but let out a small laugh. The awkwardness that had hung heavily between them lifted with her words and Troy's confidence slowly returned, pushing him to take a chance.

"Hey now, I'm very comfortable with my sexuality," Troy replied huskily and Gabriella couldn't help but shiver at how _raw_ it sounded.

"Oh are you now, Mr. Bolton?" Gabriella said, her lips curving up into a seductive smirk. Even while flirting with the man in front of her, Gabriella couldn't help but think how incredibly natural the transition felt. They had always flirted, but never with this undercurrent of incredibly arousing tension.

Troy stared at the sexy brunette in front of him and made a decision that would only serve to complicate things more. But at the moment, he could not care less. He slowly stepped closer to her and lifted the carton out of her hands. Glancing down, he scooped out a bite of the ice cream, bringing it up to her lips for a taste. Gabriella couldn't help but submit. She opened her mouth, slightly sticking out her tongue to lick the spoon. Troy couldn't contain the groan that left his throat and Gabriella smiled, intoxicated by the power she had over him. She slowly reached out and traced the top of his boxers, slightly dipping her fingers behind the band to pull him between her legs.

And then Troy lost control.

He slammed the carton on the counter and wrapped his fingers around her silky strands, pulling her hips roughly towards him, his lips immediately seeking out hers. Gabriella didn't waste any time in pushing her tongue into his mouth to tangle with his in an intimate dance. Her hands moved from his boxers to his hair, tugging him to her, taking his tongue deeper in to her mouth.

She needed more.

Troy sensed her impatience and pulled the silk camisole over her head to reveal her completely bare torso. "Oh God, Brie," he moaned while dipping to trace his tongue around one of her nipples. Gabriella gasped and began rocking against his hardness, the need to relieve the pressure was becoming almost painful.

He needed to feel her.

Troy lifted his head to meet her lips again in a passionate kiss, while slightly stepping back, allowing him to dip his fingers into her silk shorts. He traced her lower lips, dipping inside for a moment to feel her wetness. He looked up at her, utterly astonished that him, of all people, could affect the gorgeous woman in front of him in this way.

Gabriella took advantage of his distraction to impatiently rip his fingers away from her and lift her hips off the counter. Troy took the hint and lowered the shorts down her legs until she was able to kick them to the side. She immediately grabbed the hem of his boxers with one hand and shoved them down, while taking him in her other hand. She stroked and Troy cried out at the pleasure his best friend was causing in him.

He needed her.

And there was no way she would refuse him.

"Condom?" he breathed.

"Pill."

"Okay."

And as soon as the word left his lips, Troy pushed himself completely into her in one thrust. Gabriella's head tilted back, as she gasped out his name. At the sound of his name leaving her lips, Troy's hips jerked forward, pushing himself even deeper into her, hitting a spot she hadn't even known existed until now. Both knew it wouldn't last long, so they moved frantically against each other, looking for the release they so badly needed. Troy reached up to caress her breasts and reconnected their lips. She responded by squeezing her walls around him, causing Troy to cry out.

"Brie… I can't…" Troy gasped as he pulled away.

"Fuck, Troy… I'm almost… there," Gabriella cried out between gasps and Troy reached down to rub her clit, desperate to push her over the edge. Within seconds, she shattered and at the feeling of her walls tightening spastically around him, he let go, releasing deep inside her with a guttural groan.

Panting, Troy rested his forehead against hers, both of them closing their eyes, utterly spent.

Slowly, Gabriella opened her eyes filled with confusion to stare into the blue orbs in front of her. "What's happening between us, Troy?"

Troy stared back at her, still in shock at the feelings his best friend had sparked in him. "I have absolutely no idea."


	8. Dude

**A/N: I know this is short, but it's just a little filler before we get back to the good stuff. Hopefully I'll have the next one up tonight and it will definitely be a lot longer. Enjoy!**

Chapter 8

"You so had sex last night."

"Sharpay! How the hell do you do that?" Gabriella asked, astonished by her half-sister's perceptiveness.

"It's a gift. Now stop stalling and spill it," Sharpay said with a smirk.

"Fine… I had sex last night," Gabriella responded, blushing furiously.

"Gabi, sleeping with someone isn't going to help you get past these feelings you're having for Troy," Sharpay said gently.

"Sharpay… it was Troy," Gabriella admitted.

Sharpay blinked slowly. "I'm sorry, I just hallucinated. Did you say something?"

"I had sex with Troy last night." Gabriella said softly, trying to contain the smile that was threatening to appear. Even though she was still as confused as before, if not more, she couldn't help but remember every detail. How perfect he felt inside her, the way he kissed her as if she was just… _everything_. Gabriella had to admit it. Having sex with Troy Bolton was the best experience of her life.

"You. And Troy. Had sex," Sharpay said slowly, "Holy. Fuck."

"I know."

"You got naked. And had sex with Troy."

"I know."

"So? Was he as amazing as I'd always imagined he would be?" Sharpay said, finally regaining her composure.

"Sharpay!"

"What? You know I love Chad more than anything, but come on. Troy is gorgeous. Plus have you ever noticed how long his fingers are? Well I'm sure you have now, considering they were in-"

"Okay stop right there. It was..." Gabriella started, and then a dreamy smile appeared on her face, "Yeah. He was fucking incredible, Shar."

"Oh my God!" Sharpay squealed, "What happened after?"

"We put our clothes back on and went to our own bedrooms," Gabriella said, her smile falling.

"You didn't even have cuddle time?" Sharpay asked.

"No, we didn't. We're both still so confused, Shar. And having sex definitely didn't make things any easier," Gabriella said softly, "And now we have that awards ceremony tonight. When I found out I was nominated for best actress, we decided he would be my date. He's always my date to these things, but now it's different. Really, really different."

"Gabs, I think you definitely need to actually talk to Troy about this," Sharpay said with a sympathetic smile.

"I know, Shar," Gabriella nods her head with a sad smile.

Well I can guarantee one thing that will come out of tonight," Sharpay said with a knowing smirk.

"What's that?" Gabriella asked.

"When he sees you in that little dress we picked out, he'll want to push you up against the nearest wall and do naughty, naughty things to you."

"Shat!" Gabriella exclaimed blushing and she couldn't hide the hope that crossed her face as she added, "Do you really think so?"

"Absolutely," Sharpay said, smiling confidently.

Gabriella's eyes glazed over as she imagined just how hot the sex would be a second time.

Sharpay let out a giggle as she watched her sister gaze off into fantasyland. _'Oh yeah, she has it bad,_' she thought and her smile grew even larger, happy that the two idiots she called her best friends were finally figuring out what Sharpay had known since the first time she saw the two interact, '_Finally!'_

* * *

"Dude."

"Yeah, I know."

"Dude!"

"Chad, say something that actually helps!" Troy yelled.

"I'm sorry! I'm just shocked. I mean I've always known that you two should be fucking like rabbits, but I never thought you'd actually get the balls to go through with it," Chad said.

"Yeah, still not helping," Troy said, slightly shaking his head.

"Well, how was it?" Chad asked with a slight smirk.

"It was… God it was fucking amazing. Everything about it was just… she's incredible, man," Troy said, his thoughts returning to the amazing night the two had shared.

"Dude, snap out of it," Chad said as he waved his hand in front of his friend's glazed over eyes, "What's going to happen now?"

"I have no idea. This is so fucked up. She's my best friend, man," Troy said.

"You're starting to sound like a broken record. We all know she's your best friend! But there's obviously something more there, so stop being such a fucking pansy and confront what you're feeling," Chad stated forcefully.

"It's not that easy, Chad," Troy quickly became defensive.

"Of course it's not going to be easy. Nothing as life changing as this ever is. But you need to accept that and work this out before you lose the best relationship you'll ever have," Chad said showing a shocking amount of maturity, "And as difficult as it will be, you're going to have to talk to her."

"I know," Troy admitted, "We're going to that awards thing tonight. I don't know how I'm going to get through an entire night with her after what happened yesterday. How am I supposed to keep my hands off of her?"

"Who says you have to?" Chad asked with a devilish smile, quickly returning to his normal demeanor.

"Is that really a good idea?" Troy asked.

"Probably not. But you've already crossed the line of no return. So why can't you just have a little fun in the meantime?"

"You're a crazy man, Danforth," Troy said, smirking slightly.

"Most geniuses are, Bolton," Chad stated simply, "Now let's play some hoops while you give me all the dirty details of last night."

"Yeah, that's definitely not going to happen." Troy said as he walked away.

"Bastard."


	9. Six Years

**A/N: Two chapters in one day! And I'm already working on the next one so it should be out very soon! ;-) Enjoy this installment!**

Chapter 9

Gabriella stood in front of the mirror, her stylists and makeup artist having left a few minutes prior. Sharpay had been advising the group, determined to make Gabriella look as sexy as possible. Gabriella's makeup was smoky, her chocolate eyes lined in black, with gold shadow smudged into the liner. Her hair was down in loose waves that made Gabriella look, in Sharpay's words, "like a woman who needed to be ravished." And the piéce de resistance, the gold dress Sharpay had helped pick out right after Gabriella found out about her nomination. It hit her at mid-thigh, showcasing her long legs and it showed just enough cleavage to drive men crazy with desire. On her arm was a large gold bangle, and a pair of strappy sandals completed the look. In short, she would completely take Troy's breath away.

As Gabriella fidgeted with her hair, she was reminded of a time when a different set of fingers had done the some thing. She slipped into a memory that she had tried desperately to block out for 6 years.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_What's wrong, Auntie?" Gabriella asked as her aunt played with Gabriella's curls. Isabelle had always loved playing with Gabriella's hair, as it was so different from her own. "You haven't been yourself for days."_

_Gabriella…" Isabelle started before pausing, unsure how to say the words that she knew would break her niece_. _But she knew she had been keeping this from her for far too long._

_Gabriella turned towards her aunt, startled by Isabelle's use of her full name. "Tell me, please."_

_"I've been seeing the doctor for the past few weeks," Isabella said, and Gabriella's face dropped, knowing what her aunt was about to say would change everything, "Gabriella… I have breast cancer."_

_And then the world stopped._

* * *

Gabriella wiped away a tear, desperately trying to think of something else. She looked at the clock and saw that she was running late and that Troy had probably been waiting downstairs for quite some time. She grabbed her clutch and walked out of her room. When she reached the staircase, she stopped in her tracks looking at the gorgeous man who had always been there for her. Gabriella was amazed at the sudden rush of adoration that filled her. Troy was her entire world.

Troy heard her light footsteps on the stairs and he took a deep breath. _'Well here we go," _he thought. He turned around slowly and his breath caught in his throat. There, standing above him, was the most gorgeous sight he had ever seen. His eyes slowly took all of her in, from her long, sexy legs to the silky hair that he had ran his fingers through the night before. She was absolutely perfect.

Troy's eyes met Gabriella's and his gaze softened. Sure, there was obvious lust in her eyes, but behind that was a sadness that broke his heart every time he saw it. He knew what Gabriella had been thinking about and he immediately stepped forward to take her in his arms. She ran to him, and Troy pulled her into a loving hug, forgetting about the lust coursing through his veins for the moment. He was forced to remember a day that had completely altered his world.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Troy pulled into his driveway after rehearsal, overwhelmed by all the lines he had to memorize. There was never a dull day at Campton. He pulled his hood over his head to block out as much of the rain that was currently coming down in sleets and jumped out the door. As he came into view of the back door, he saw a figure hunched over, completely drenched from head to toe and he stopped in his tracks._

_"Gabriella?" Troy called out, trying to make his voice heard over the pouring rain._

_Gabriella's head lifted and Troy immediately saw her red-rimmed eyes. He knew that tears were mixed in with the water dripping down her face. He immediately ran to her and took her into his arms, desperate to take away whatever pain she was experiencing._

_"Come on, we need to get out of this rain," Troy called over the rain as he pulled his best friend into the house._

_As soon as they were safe inside the house, he sat Gabriella in a kitchen chair and ran up to his room to get some dry clothes. He entered the kitchen to see Gabriella shaking. Troy pulled her back into his arms, trying to transfer some heat, "You need to change, Brie," he said as he directed her to the downstairs bathroom. He handed her some towels and shut the door to give her some privacy._

_A few minutes later, Gabriella exited the bathroom, and Troy could see the tears clearly now, "Oh God, Brie, what happened?"_

_Gabriella looked up to meet the blue eyes of her best friend, and her tears started falling even faster. "She's dying, Troy. Auntie is dying. And there's nothing they can do to save her. It's too advanced. What am I going to do? Tell me Troy! What the fuck am I supposed to do?" Gabriella stopped, sobs wracking her petite body._

_"Oh God, Brie," Troy said, devastated that this was happening to the woman he admired and who had become a part of his family, "I'm here, okay? We'll get through this. Together." Troy took Gabriella back into his arms as silent tears dripped down his face. Gabriella gripped him tighter and Troy kissed the side of her head. It was at the moment that Troy realized just how much Gabriella meant to him. He would be strong for her, and they would get through the pain that was to come._

_And then the rain stopped._

* * *

Troy was pulled from the memory when Gabriella slowly pulled away from him. Their eyes met, and Troy remembered the feelings that had overcome him when she descended the stairs. He was mesmerized. Gabriella smiled at the man in front of her, grateful for everything he had done for her. At the sight of Gabriella's gleaming smile, Troy lifted his hand to caress her face, desperate for contact. And just like that, flashes of the night before took over their thoughts. Gabriella clutching at Troy's hair, her fingers wrapped around his shaft, and the relief both felt as he plunged into her for the first time. The lust both had felt returned full throttle, and Troy tangled the fingers that had been resting on her cheek in her hair, slightly pulling and Gabriella gasped. Troy leaned down and just as his lips were about to brush hers… the doorbell rang.

Gabriella and Troy jumped apart, both blushing furiously at the thought of what was just going to happen. And they both had so badly needed it. Troy cleared his throat and opened the door, only to see their driver for the night standing patiently. Troy nodded in greeting and told them that they were on their way. The driver nodded and walked back to the car. Troy turned back to Gabriella and whispered, "Brie…"

"I know. We'll talk about it later."

And with those words, Gabriella walked out the door and Troy watched her greet the driver, a gracious smile taking over her face. She glanced back at Troy, her smile turning softer, a look that Troy didn't recognize flashing through her eyes. As she slipped into the limo, Troy ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"This is going to be a long fucking night."

**A/N 2: Gabriella's dress is in my profile. I think it's a little young looking for the 25 year old Gabriella in my story, but it's still gorgeous. :-)**


	10. Best Actress

**A/N: I've had a few comments about making the chapters longer. I really just cut them off where I think is the most natural. I hope my frequent updates can make up for the lengths though. :-/ This is the longest chapter so far and I'm very pleased with it. I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 10

To say that the ride in the limo was awkward would be a drastic understatement. Five minutes had passed in silence, neither quite sure how to bring up the shift in their relationship.

Troy turned to the gorgeous woman beside him. She was staring out the window and he took the moment to admire her again. Her silky hair was shining in the soft light from the street and her dress had slid up to reveal more of the sexiest legs he had ever seen. He had always known that Gabriella was beautiful, but he had never truly appreciated how utterly _desirable_ she was. _'That's it! I can't take this anymore_,' he thought to himself, ready to do anything to break the silence.

"Gabriella…" he said softly.

At the sounds of his voice, Gabriella turned and was immediately drawn into the depths of her best friend's gorgeous blue eyes. She had known him for 12 years, yet she had never seen this look directed at her at that moment. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what his eyes were saying to her… _I need you. _The tension in the air became so thick that neither could breathe.

And this time, it was Gabriella who made the first move.

In the blink of an eye, Gabriella's hands were tangled in Troy's hair, pulling him towards her, needing to feel his lips again. Their lips met furiously and Troy licked her bottom lip that was desperate to tangle with hers. Gabriella immediately responded by pulling his tongue in deeper, needing so much more than they had time for. One of Troy's hands moved up to cup her breast while the other moved to her thigh, rubbing circles, inching closer to the spot Gabriella needed to feel him. Finally, Troy's hand reached the apex of her thighs, only to discover that there was nothing there.

"Fuck, Brie. Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" Troy gasped. Gabriella responded by pulling his lips back to hers, kissing him with everything she had in her. Her hand slipped down to his crotch, tracing the impressive bulge that showed Gabriella exactly what she was doing to him. Troy groaned and suddenly slipped his fingers into Gabriella, shocked at how wet he had made her.

"God, Troy," Gabriella groaned, moving against his fingers. Troy immediately started pumping harder, needing to feel her release around his fingers. Neither noticed that the car was coming to a stop until they heard the driver's car slam closed. They sprang apart, incredibly frustrated with the bad timing. The driver knocked on the window, indicating that he was ready to open the door. "One second," she yelled while digging through her purse for some tissues. She quickly cleaned herself up, while Troy thought about every disgusting thing he could imagine to calm himself down. When everything was taken care of, the two turned to each other unsure of what to say next.

Troy broke the silence, "Are you sure we can't skip this thing?"

Gabriella was speechless for a second and then she laughed out loud. Troy immediately realized how much he had missed the sound. He hadn't heard that laugh since before they filmed The Scene and he thought it was the sweetest sound he would ever hear. He joined her, chuckling softly. Both were grinning stupidly at each other, so Troy took the moment to lean in and place a soft kiss on her lips. "We're definitely continuing this later, I hope you know," Troy said, smirking at the brunette.

"Promises, promises, Bolton," Gabriella replied huskily and Troy immediately began to harden at the sound. She gave him one last wink and opened the door, sliding out of the car carefully not wanting to have a Paris Hilton moment.

Troy sat for a moment, completely dazed at what had just happened and let himself soften before stepping out of the car. Immediately after exiting, flashes blinded him and he looked to his right to see his best friend of 12 years smiling at the dozens of cameras in front of them. Troy took a deep breath and prepared himself for the onslaught. '_Here we go.'_

* * *

After making their way down the red carpet, Troy and Gabriella walked around the large auditorium where the show would be taking place. They greeted friends and talked to those whose worked they admired. Troy couldn't help but notice the many stares Gabriella was getting from the men in the room. A sudden surge of jealousy ran through him and he instinctively stepped closer to Gabriella, subconsciously indicating to the other men that she was his. Gabriella looked up at him as a smile lit up her face. Troy grinned back and winked, just as she had done while exiting the limo. Gabriella blushed and looked away just as the lights flashed, signaling that the ceremony would be starting.

Troy and Gabriella found their seats among Gabriella's co-stars from the film she had starred in and for which she had received this nomination. They sat down and Troy boldly shifted his chair closer, needing to be as close to her as possible. Gabriella smiled up at him, loving this new side of Troy. _'He's almost acting like a boyfriend,' _Gabriella thought and she blushed at the thought. _'Is that what I want?'_

As the show started and a comedian delivered his opening monologue, Troy completely blocked out everything but the woman sitting next to him. He smirked slightly and slipped his hand under the table, only to rest it on her thigh. Gabriella jumped and her knee hit the table, causing the others at the table to look at her strangely. She shot Troy a look that clearly said, '_You're so going to get it later."_

Troy's smirk only grew as he wiggled his eyebrows at her and slipped his hand higher. Gabriella's eyes closed briefly at the sensations his simple touch was causing. Gabriella reached down and slipped her fingers through his, giving his hand a squeeze. Their eyes met and Troy tried to convey just how touched he was at the small gesture. Gabriella nodded slightly and turned back to the ceremony.

* * *

An hour and a half later, the show was almost over and Gabriella and Troy still hadn't untangled their hands. The next award would be Best Actress, but Gabriella didn't care. Troy Bolton was holding her hand and it felt amazing. It was so simple and such a couple-like thing to do. And Gabriella would be lying if she said that didn't appeal to her. She felt Troy's fingers squeeze hers before letting go and Gabriella's face dropped as she looked up at him. He nodded his head towards the stage, and she turned to see one of her more dramatic scenes from the film playing on the large screen. The screen turned black and retracted into the ceiling, the lights turning back on.

"And the winner is… Gabriella Montez!"

Gabriella stood up, genuinely shocked, and turned to face Troy. A huge smile was on his face and he reached out to pull her in his arms. "Congratulations, Brie," he whispered in her ear. Gabriella smiled up at him and walked around the table, hugging her co-stars along the way. Gabriella made her way up to the stage and accepted the award. She approached the microphone and looked out into the audience to meet Troy's eyes. He was standing up, applauding her and she giggled under her breath at how enthusiastic he was.

She lowered the microphone, beginning an improvised acceptance speech. "Wow, I'm just so… shocked. This award means so much to me, because it was voted by the fans. And honestly, I would be nowhere without you guys. I have so many people to thank," Gabriella said, listing as many of the people involved in the film as she could remember. She met Troy's eyes and continued, "And of course, I have to thank my best friend. You've been by my side through all of this and you've always supported me completely. So for that, I am eternally grateful," Gabriella stopped and held up the award, "This is dedicated to my Aunt Isabelle. She taught me that every single thing I do in life should come from the heart. And I will always be thankful for everything she inspired in me," Gabriella stopped to wipe a tear from her eye and finished, "Again, to my fans, thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Gabriella left the auditorium, vaguely hearing the rush of applause in the background. She walked into the pressroom and did her best to answer the questions, trying to stay composed when the inevitable questions of her relationship with Troy came up. It was nothing new, but now everything was different. She just hoped she was convincing with her answers. After countless more pictures, Gabriella returned to the auditorium accepting the congratulations from her co-stars and those from the neighboring tables.

Troy stood up and held out her chair so Gabriella could slip in. She smiled at the gesture and whispered a quick thank you.

After the show finally ended, Troy leaned close to Gabriella putting his lips to her ear and whispered with a smirk, "So I guess it's time for me to live up to my promise, huh?"

Gabriella returned his smirk and slipped her hand back underneath the table to rest on his crotch. Troy's eyes closed and he took a deep breath as she slowly rubbed her hand up and down. When he opened his eyes, Gabriella was leaning so close to him he thought she was going to place her lips on his. Her smirk widened as she said, "Sorry, there's still the after-party." And with those words Gabriella removed her hand from his hard member and stood up. She began to walk away and Troy watched the sway of her hips, wanting so badly to throw her on the nearest table to do everything in his power to make her scream.

"Coming, Bolton?" Gabriella called back.

Troy dutifully stood up to follow. _'God, I wish I was,' _he thought,_ 'That woman is definitely going to be the death of me.'_


	11. Dance With Me

**A/N: Okay I'm completely amazed by the reviews I've been getting! You guys are all incredible! And it's great to see that so many of you are adding me to your story alerts and faves. And the number of hits is just... wow. I did notice that Chapter 7 has almost twice the number of hits as the others. Hmmm... I wonder why ;-) I hope you like this one! It was a lot of fun writing it :-)**

Chapter 11

Gabriella and Troy would definitely describe the limo ride to the after-party as the hottest moments of their life up until that point. As soon as Troy closed the door, Gabriella moved to straddle his lap and captured Troy's lips in a bruising kiss. Troy groaned and he immediately hardened. He slipped his hands to her ass to pull her groin closer to his trying to relieve some of the tension that was already building. Gabriella started to move against him, making his hips thrust up in surprise. This time it was Gabriella who groaned as the friction became almost unbearable.

"Troy… fuck…" she said as his hardness hit a particular spot, "I need you inside me."

Troy moaned in response and dropped his lip to her ear, kissing the lobe, slowly moving his lips along her jaw until he reached her pulse point and he started sucking, doing his best not to leave a mark. The smidgeon of conscious thought he had left reminded him that the last thing they needed right now was some paparazzi capturing a hickey on film. Gabriella reached down between them and untucked his shirt, desperate to feel the hot skin underneath. Troy joined her hand, slipping down lower to lift up her dress up and feel her wetness again. "God, Brie, you're so fucking incredible," he squeezed out between breaths.

"Troy…" Gabriella moaned, "Now." Troy didn't need to be told twice. He reached down and unzipped while Gabriella hiked her dress up. He was about to relieve the constriction when a knock on the door hit their ears.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Troy gasped. He was so close to thrusting into the woman sitting on top of him and now it wasn't going to happen. He knew though that if they took too long to get out of the car, the people outside with cameras would get suspicious. Troy decided to make the best of it and smiled softly, while looking at the woman hovering above him, "Just so you know, besides the fucking worst timing ever, this was the hottest experience of my life."

"At least until we get home," Gabriella said with a smirk.

"Fucking shit, Brie. You can't say stuff like that and expect little Troy to go down!" Troy exclaimed. "You definitely need to look in a mirror. You have sex hair. Well so-fucking-close-to-sex hair."

Gabriella smiled and slid off of his lap, grabbing a mirror out of purse to check the damage. Troy was right. Her hair was tangled and her lips were swollen from the kisses they had shared. She smoothed out her hair and grabbed some lipstick out of her bag, doing a good job at making herself look like a woman who hadn't just almost fucked her best friend. For a second time.

In the meantime, Troy was doing his best to take care of his situation when Gabriella reached out to smooth his hair and wipe off the lipstick that had transferred to his mouth. Her beauty mesmerized Troy and he turned his head to place a kiss on her palm. Gabriella cupped his cheek, touched by the gesture and she leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips. "Come on, Bolton. Let's go," Gabriella said, smiling at the man in front of her. She opened the door to face the crowd for a second time that night and Troy rubbed his eyes, preparing himself for what was to come.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella finally slipped into the club, taking in their surroundings. They were immediately escorted to the VIP section and they greeted the others in the room. Gabriella and Troy eventually split up to mingle for a while. During the hour they were apart, Troy couldn't help but glance at his best friend every few minutes, and he noticed her looking at him a few times as well. Troy smiled to himself, almost becoming hard at the thought of what was to come later that night. People began dance in the center of the large room, and Troy excused himself, making his way across the room to ask Gabriella to dance.

But he was too late.

Gabriella's co-star, Alex Hudson, had already walked up to her, placing his hand on her arm with a large smile on his face, gesturing towards the dance floor. Gabriella glanced at Troy and then turned back to nod her head. As the man placed his hand on Gabriella's waist to guide her to the floor, Troy's blood began to boil. He always knew Alex had a crush on her. But now things were different. _'Gabriella's mine, you jackass," _Troy thought to himself. His jaw dropped. He was completely shocked by the possessiveness that had overcome him. Then suddenly, everything was clear. _'Oh my God, I'm falling for my best friend.'_

As the song ended, Gabriella excused herself and turned to Troy, an enormous smile lighting up her face. Troy stood still, completely dazed at what he had just realized. Gabriella approached him, her face immediately expressing concern at Troy's expression.

"Troy, what is it? What happened?" Gabriella said, reaching out to touch his arm.

Troy looked down at her hand that was on his arm. "Dance with me," he stated calmly.

The smile returned to Gabriella's face. "Okay," she said simply.

They walked to the dance floor, and Troy immediately pulled her into his arms. A fast song was playing, so Gabriella pressed her hips to his. They started moving, feeling the beat and Troy hardened for what seemed like the millionth time that night. Troy looked down at the woman in front of him while leaning down to kiss her jaw softly. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "I think it's time to go home."

Gabriella smiled widely, already becoming wet at the thought of what was to come. She grabbed his hand and began to pull him out of the room, just as eager as him to return home, "Then let's go."

* * *

Gabriella and Troy sat as far apart in the limo as they could. Neither wanted to start something that would only be interrupted when they arrived back at the house. Needless to say, it was the longest limo ride of their lives. The limo finally stopped, and both let out a sigh of relief. The driver opened the door, and Troy tipped him before grabbing Gabriella's hand and pulled her up the walkway. When they reached the door, Gabriella started digging in her purse, doing her best to find them while Troy was doing a fantastic job of distracting her. He had pulled her hair to the side and was placing kisses on every bit of skin he could find. Gabriella moaned, finally finding the keys and unlocked the door. Before she could even open it, Troy had grabbed her waist and flipped her around pressing her against the door and attacking her lips. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, and probed deeply while slipping his hand to her thigh, slightly lifting her dress.

"Inside. Now." Gabriella managed to say after he had moved his attention to her neck.

Troy placed his hand on the knob, and pushed her through the door slamming it shut after they were both inside, all while never breaking their passionate kiss. He immediately grabbed her ass, lifting her up, and Gabriella responded by wrapping her legs around his waist. He stumbled forward, pushing her against the nearest wall and grinded against her. Both let out a groan at the contact.

"Bed," Gabriella gasped against Troy's lips.

Troy flipped around and made his way to the stairs, doing his best to make it to her bedroom. Gabriella pressed wet kisses to his neck, sucking desperately. Finally, they reached the bedroom and Gabriella dropped to her feet, immediately ripping Troy's jacket and shirt off. Troy frantically reached around her, finding the zipper and tugged it, the dress finally slipping off of her body. He stepped back to view the vision in front of him and he almost cried out at the sight. She had been completely bare under her dress all night.

"Fuck, Brie," he gasped, drinking in the sight of her nude body in only her sexy shoes.

Gabriella grabbed the top of his pants and pulled him back to her, grabbing his face to meet his lips. She licked his lower lip and bit down, making Troy release a sexy moan.

"We have time for slow later. Right now, I want it fast and hard," Gabriella demanded while ripping his belt out of the loops. Troy kicked off his shoes and Gabriella pushed down his pants and boxers in one shot. She reached down to unstrap her sandals and as soon as they were off, Troy picked her up and carried her to the bed. He hovered over her and captured her lips while reaching down to check if she was ready only to find that she was dripping wet. Troy groaned and wasted no time thrusting into her. They cried out simultaneously. Both had been craving this.

If Gabriella wanted fast and hard, then Troy was going to give it to her. He reached down to wrap her legs around her shoulders, and Gabriella gasped, completely amazed at how deep the position allowed him to go.

"Fuck, Troy!" Gabriella cried, "I'm so close!"

Troy thrust even harder and reached down to rub her clit. Gabriella shattered moments later and Troy's entire body jerked as he released deep inside her, completely amazed by how long his orgasm lasted. He collapsed on top of her, until he vaguely realized that he must have been crushing her. He slowly pulled out of her and both moaned at the loss of contact. Troy rolled onto his back and pulled Gabriella as close as he possibly could. Gabriella snuggled into his chest, completely amazed at the orgasm she had just experienced. And she was surprised at how perfect the moment right then was. Cuddling with Troy was almost as amazing as the sex. Almost.

"This was the best night of my life, Brie," Troy whispered honestly right before he slipped into a deep sleep.

Gabriella smiled, completely agreeing with the sentiment. Suddenly her eyes widened and she tensed at a sudden realization.

'_Oh my God, I'm in love with my best friend."_


	12. BFWB

**A/N: Longest chapter yet! Enjoy!**

Chapter 12

Gabriella woke slowly, stretching languidly as she did every morning. But something hard underneath her head stopped her from having complete freedom in her movement. She looked up only to lay eyes on the gorgeous being that was Troy Bolton. A smile lit up her face as she remembered their night. After numerous interruptions, they had finally made it home and the built-up tension exploded. Literally.

Suddenly Gabriella's smile dropped, remembering the conclusion she had come to before falling asleep. She was in love with her best friend. She knew that Troy had some type of feelings for her; he wouldn't have jeopardized their relationship if he didn't. But she knew Troy better than anyone, and there was no way he was feeling what she was. Gabriella had no idea how to approach the situation now that she knew how deep her feelings ran. She couldn't have sex with him again, not when the feelings were one-sided. She would only fall deeper, and that would be too great of a risk. Yes, there would be no more sex.

Gabriella was so consumed by her thoughts that she didn't notice the stirring beside her until she felt his hand sliding up her waist, tracing the side of her breast. She whipped around to look at the man who had made her feel better than anyone else ever had.

"Hi." Troy stated in a gravelly voice, a luminous smile taking over his face.

"Hi." Gabriella responded, her stomach doing flips at the way he was staring into her eyes. Like he couldn't wait to ravish her. _'No, Gabriella, be strong. No more sex.'_

And then Troy leaned down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss. It wasn't as passionate as the night before, but it was just as perfect. He slowly pulled away, only to lean back in for another. There was no doubt in Troy's mind; the woman in front of him was everything he could ever want.

Gabriella's resolve weakened as Troy softly reached up to cup her breast, lightly tracing her nipple with his thumb. Gabriella let out a sexy moan, in complete amazement that such a soft touch could evoke the same feelings as the night before. _'Gabriella, no, don't…' _Gabriella thought when suddenly Troy pulled her up towards the headboard so he could lean down to take the nipple he had been teasing in his mouth. _'Okay, maybe one more time.'_

Gabriella moaned again as Troy licked, sucked, and bit softly all while bringing one hand up to give attention to her other nipple. "God Troy…" Gabriella sighed.

Troy was addicted to Gabriella's reactions. She always sounded unbelievably sexy when they were together. He needed so badly to touch her again, so he trailed his free hand down her stomach slowly. Gabriella thought it was torture. "Troy, please!" she begged.

"Tell me what you want." Troy demanded softly.

"I want you, Troy."

At those words, Troy plunged his fingers into her wetness. He groaned as she immediately responded to his touch, lifting her hips and thrusting forward. Troy moved his fingers slowly, desperate to show her that he could take it slow too. Fast and hard was amazing, but this was even better.

Troy placed a kiss on her lips and another on each nipple, and then slowly kissed his way down her stomach, kissing and licking every piece of skin he could find. She tasted amazing.

Gabriella's eyes rolled into the back of her head and cried out in complete ecstasy. She wanted him so badly. Troy was amazed at how she responded to his touch. He smiled against her skin and decided to stop the tease. He kissed her inner thighs and then spread her legs, eager to taste her for the first time. He placed a kiss on the spot she needed and then roughly thrust his tongue into her, drinking up everything he could. He replaced his tongue with his fingers and moved his mouth up to suck with everything he had. He was going to make her come harder than any of the bastard before him had.

"Fuck, Troy!" Gabriella screamed. "So… fucking… close."

Troy doubled his efforts, pumping his fingers harder, curling them to hit the spot deep inside of her. Gabriella screamed his name and clenched hard around his fingers, pulling him in deeper. Her body thrashed, her thighs tightening around his head. Gabriella suddenly relaxed, her legs loosening their hold and Troy gave her one last long lick, making her shudder violently. He placed a kiss on her stomach and moved back up the bed, resting his on his side, his elbow holding his head up. He stared at the woman before him who was breathing heavily, her eyes shut tight. Suddenly an enormous smile spread across her face and her eyes opened to look at the man who had caused the pleasure that had just ripped through her body.

"I didn't think it could get any better than last nigh but… fucking hell, Troy." Troy's face took on a smug grin at the compliment.

"Well, just so you know… you coming just now was the sexiest thing I have ever seen." Troy said, his smile widening, "You're incredible, Brie."

Gabriella smiled back and then she realized the state Troy must have been in. So she turned on her side to face him, and a sexy smirk appeared on her face. She reached down and grazed his penis that was already dripping in precum. She was amazed that just the act of pleasing her could turn him on so much. Troy groaned at the touch and closed his eyes, looking like he was in pain.

His eyes shot open and he reached down to softly grab her hand that was now stroking him slowly, but with just the right amount of pressure. "Brie, if you keep that up, I'm not going to last much longer."

"Good." Gabriella smirked and roughly pushed him on his back, placing kissed all over his chest, making sure to bite his nipples and immediately soothe them with her tongue. Troy cried out and wrapped his fingers around her hair, holding her in place. Gabriella slowly began to kiss downwards, just as he had done. But she had no plans of teasing him. She just wanted to make him come as hard as he had made her. Finally, she reached his penis that was at this point sticking straight up in the air. Gabriella placed her hand on it again, amazed at what he had been packing the entire time she had known him. At the thought, Gabriella giggled softly and Troy's eyes shot open.

"You know, you laughing isn't exactly an aphrodisiac…" Troy whispered with a playful smirk on his face.

Gabriella smiled devilishly and responded by taking him into her mouth as far as she could in the first go. Troy's hips jerked up at the surprise, pushing him farther into her throat. Gabriella gagged slightly, before loosening and holding him in place.

"God, I'm so sorry, Brie, " Troy said through groans at the feelings she was causing.

Gabriella only sucked harder, licking around the base before sliding her lips up to pay attention to the head. She took him in her throat again, and continued the pattern. Troy was writhing, feeling pleasure he had never known before.

"Brie… I'm… uh," he warned incoherently. Gabriella only sucked harder, understanding his words, when suddenly Troy's hips jerked spastically as he released in numerous, long spurts. Gabriella took everything he had and waited until he had stopped moving to remove her mouth. She swallowed and then placed a brief kiss on his tip.

She crawled up his body, straddling him, while giggling silently at his expression. It was one of complete and utter bliss. And she had caused it. Her smile only widened at the thought.

Suddenly Troy's eyes sprang open to see her hovering over him. He reached up and pulled her head down roughly into a passionate kiss that was different than every other kiss they had shared up until that point.

Troy slowly pulled away, and looked up into Gabriella's dazed expression. "You're just… God Brie," Troy said, staring at her in complete and utter adoration. Gabriella stared back into his gorgeous eyes. If she had any doubts before, she knew at that moment that she was completely in love with Troy Bolton. She knew she couldn't give him up yet, even if her heart did get broken in the end. So she made a decision.

"Maybe we should be best friends with benefits," Gabriella blurted out, grimacing inside at her bluntness.

Troy's face dropped. But Gabriella was just imagining it, right? She was just seeing what she wanted to see.

Troy was devastated at her words. How could he go from feeling on top of the world to feeling so dejected? He could feel his face drop at the thought. She didn't return his feelings. He knew without a doubt that he had fallen hard for his best friend. He could feel his heart breaking. But if her suggestion was the only way he could have her, then he would go along with it. He knew he was putting his heart in jeopardy and that it would only hurt more in the end, but there was no way he could let her go yet.

"Um, yeah… best friends with benefits. That sounds great…" Troy responded with a brave smile. "We'll be the best cliché that ever was," Troy joked and Gabriella laughed. But it was forced. He had agreed with her idea. He really didn't have feelings for her. Gabriella needed to get away.

"Alright then. Well, my BFWB, I need to shower, so see you later?" Gabriella asked, trying to lighten the situation.

"Am I not invited?" Troy said. Even though he was devastated, the thought of a wet Gabriella was extremely appealing.

"You know what will happen if you join me. And some people have scenes to film today, Bolton. Unlike other people I know," Gabriella said with a wink. Yeah, she could do this. If it meant being with him, however briefly it would be, she could do this. _'Fuck…who am I trying to kid?'_

Troy suddenly sat up, bringing Gabriella with him, who still was sitting astride him. He slid off the bed while keeping her in his arms, and flung her over his shoulder.

"Troy, put me down," Gabriella scolded, but not coming off all convincing.

"We, Miss Montez, are going to get clean. I promise I won't make any moves." Troy stated, smiling at her bare ass next to his face. He placed a kiss on the cheek closest and Gabriella giggled at the feeling.

"Somehow I don't believe you, Mr. Bolton."

"You're right. I'm going to ravish you until you forget your own name." Troy responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the word.

Gabriella immediately felt herself become wet again. _'When did I turn into a sex maniac?' _She wondered to herself.

"Promise?" Gabriella said, reaching down to give his gorgeous ass a squeeze.

Troy was completely hard at this point, so he sped up towards his bathroom. As soon as they reached the room, Troy set her down and placed his lips on hers in a rough kiss. _'Yeah, this is definitely going to fast and hard.'_

Gabriella groaned and reached down to feel his hard dick. Troy ripped her hand away and lifted her up to place her on the counter. After checking if she was ready, he thrust into her and began to move roughly in and out of her. Gabriella screamed, already close to coming. Troy definitely had that effect on her.

"Brie," Troy squeezed out while thrusting harder, pushing her legs to her chest to get deeper inside her.

Gabriella's eyes squeezed shut at the feeling of the pleasure coursing through her body.

"Open your eyes," Troy demanded forcefully.

Gabriella obeyed only for her breath to catch in her throat at the look in Troy's eyes. It was almost savage. He leaned down to capture her lips in another rough kiss and both kept their eyes open. It was by far the most intimate moment the two had shared, regardless of how rough the sex was at that moment.

Gabriella and Troy groaned simultaneously. "Come with me, Brie." Troy said as he reached down to rub her clit.

That was all she needed. Gabriella came violently and she vaguely felt him come inside her, both screaming in pleasure.

Troy rested his forehead against hers as they both came down from their highs. Troy lifted his hand to her face. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" Troy asked, realizing how rough he had been with her.

"God no, Troy. That was amazing. Every time we do this, it just gets better and better." Gabriella stated with a large smile.

"That's putting a lot of pressure on me and little Troy, Brie." Troy joked.

"Suck it up, Bolton," Gabriella retorted. "Ugh I don't want to move, but I have to."

"Come on, let's shower. I'll be good this time." Troy said with a small smirk.

"Well now I definitely don't believe you. I'll be going to my shower now," Gabriella said while walking away, swaying her hips. As she left the room, Troy remembered their deal. He let out a huge sigh and leaned back on the counter, putting his head in his hands. _'How am I going to keep this up?"_

In the meantime, Gabriella stepped into her shower, a huge smile on her face. And then she remembered. Her back hit the wall and she slid down, coming to rest at the bottom of the shower. She stared blankly for a moment as tears came to her eyes. "Oh God," she whispered desperately. And then the tears fell.

**A/N 2: Lots of sexiness in this one! I wasn't even planning it. It just kind of happened. But I think it turned out well. There will be a little more angst I'm sorry to say, but I promise there will still be fun thrown in there. And Chad and Sharpay make an appearance in the next chapter! **

**Also, it might be a couple of days before I update again. I'm sorry! I have an enormous test on Tuesday that I really need to focus on... But it won't be too long until there's another installment! Enjoy your weekends :-) **


	13. Horndogs

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! But I had my exam this morning, and I'm pleased to say that I think I did very well! **

**Once again, I'm amazed by the number of hits this story is getting! And thank you so much for all of your reviews! I'll do my best to get back to everyone soon. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 13

"We're going out tonight."

"Well, hello to you too Sharpay," Gabriella said over the phone, smiling at her half-sister's antics.

"Yeah, yeah hello blah blah," Sharpay said hastily, "Now that that's out of the way. We're going out tonight. Chad and I will be coming over at 7 so you and I can gossip about Troy while getting all sexified. Then we will have a couple drinks before we head out to that new club. Don't ask me exactly how I got us on the guest list. Let's just say it involved some name-dropping."

"Shar! You know I hate it when you use my name to get us into places," Gabriella admonished.

"I know, I know. Last time, I promise." Gabriella sighed in response, knowing that it would not be the last time.

"Fine, we'll go to the club," Gabriella said.

"Fabulous! I'll see you soon!" Sharpay said, not bothering to wait for a response.

Gabriella clicked off the phone and sat on her bed. She had filmed two scenes that day and after the night she had shared with Troy, she was definitely feeling the fatigue. If she would be going out that night, then she would definitely need a nap. She stretched out over her blankets and curled around her pillows, imagining they were Troy. Gabriella had obsessed over their situation in between takes, and she was feeling no better about it. She loved him and he didn't love her back. It was that simple. But she had him for the moment, and there was no way she would let him go. Her eyes closed and she started to drift off to sleep when she felt something warm wrap around her from behind. She would have been startled if she hadn't smelled his musky scent.

"Hey gorgeous," Troy whispered. Gabriella flipped in his arms so she could look in his eyes. They were always so expressive, changing shades depending on his mood. At that moment, they were an ocean blue that Gabriella knew meant he was happy.

"Hey, yourself," Gabriella said through a smile, knowing that her eyes were showing the same emotion. "Did Chad call you?"

"Yeah. I said I would check with you first but apparently you had already given our answer," Troy teased. "Nice to know my opinion matters."

"Oh, shut it. You know you would follow me anywhere," Gabriella teased back.

Troy reached up to run a hand through her hair. "To the ends of the earth," he whispered against her lips before capturing them in a gentle kiss.

Gabriella's heart melted at his words. They were perfect, just like him. She licked his bottom lip and he granted her access, both desperate to deepen the kiss. They kissed for a few minutes before pulling away, Gabriella letting out a content sigh.

"Let's take a nap," Troy said with a soft smile.

"You don't want to have sex?" Gabriella smirked, "Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

"Haha, very funny. And here I was trying to take care of you," Troy said, feigning hurt.

"Take care of me? Do explain."

"Well seeing as I kept you up all night, you're welcome for that, and since you had a long day of filming, I figured you could use some rest." Troy placed another kiss on her lips and Gabriella sighed into his mouth.

"As fantastic as that sounds, I know you Troy Bolton…" Gabriella paused, smirking. "What's your real motive?"

"Okay, fine you caught me," Troy said, smiled devilishly at the beauty beneath him. "I need you to be well rested for everything I have planned for tonight," he finished huskily.

Gabriella felt herself become wet at the thought. "Oh? And what did you have in mind?"

"Nu-uh, my lips are sealed. Now come here," Troy said as he pulled her chest into his side. "We're going to take a nap and I will prove to you that I can go a few hours without sex. Fucking incredible sex, I might add."

"Yes, sir," Gabriella giggled, relaxing completely in his arms. It was only a matter of minutes until she fell asleep.

Troy smiled to himself, completely amazed at how natural this seemed. Two weeks ago, the thought of sex with Gabriella was completely off limits. And now, he was in love with her. To some it may seem sudden, but Troy knew now that the feelings had always been there. He thought of how his heart leaped when she laughed. Even before The Scene, he was completely mesmerized every time she smiled up at him. He associated it with just pleasure at seeing her happy after everything she had been through. But now he knew it was more than that. Troy sighed happily and the hand that had been caressing her silky hair slowly came to a stop. Unconsciously, he pulled Gabriella closer and slipped into a deep slumber.

* * *

"Oh. My. God!"

Troy and Gabriella woke to Sharpay's squealing. Troy groaned and flung his arm over his eyes, hoping that she would just go away. He loved the woman, but she had quite the pair of lungs.

"You two are absolutely, fucking adorable." Sharpay said, smiling at the sight before her.

Gabriella sat up, blushing furiously. Troy immediately missed her warmth, but sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Great to see you Sharpay. Hey, I was just wondering, have you ever heard about this thing called a doorbell? You see it's this new invention where…"

"Bolton! I know what a doorbell is. And for your information, Chad and I have been ringing it for the past 10 minutes, as well as calling both of your cell phones. But I can see you two were busy…" Sharpay said while smirking.

"Shar! We were just sleeping," Gabriella said, still blushing.

"Yes I can see that. Rather boring, if you ask me." Sharpay responded.

"Well, no one asked you. Where's Chad?" Troy asked.

"I'll let that comment slide. And Chad is waiting downstairs. He said that he didn't want to walk in on you two 'bumping uglies.' His words, not mine."

"Glad to see you had no qualms about seeing us naked." Troy fired back.

"Listen, Shar, why don't you wait in my closet?" Gabriella suggested referring to the room down the hall that had been converted into a closet. Gabriella definitely loved fashion. "I'll be there in a couple of minutes," Gabriella finished, hoping to prevent a verbal feud between the two friends.

"Fine, but keep in mind there is a lot of work to be done." Sharpay huffed, leaving the room.

Gabriella turned to Troy. "You know, you really need to stop baiting her."

"Where would be the fun in that?" Troy responded with a smirk.

"What am I going to do with you?" Gabriella whispered, leaning in closer.

"I can think of quite a few things. But they involve far less clothes than we are currently wearing." Troy said, leaning in to meet her lips. Gabriella immediately deepened the kiss, stroking his tongue with hers. Troy slipped one hand under her t-shirt, caressing the soft skin of her stomach, desperate to feel skin against skin.

"Gabriella! It has been 2.5 minutes and we are on a tight schedule!" Sharpay yelled from down the hall.

Troy and Gabriella pulled apart, groaning softly. "We're continuing this in much greater detail later," Troy said, leaning in to place a quick kiss to her lips.

"Can't wait." Gabriella whispered against his lips. "I better go before she actually comes looking for me."

Troy sighed. "Fine. You two have fun talking about me," Troy finished with a smirk.

"Glad to see your ego is still present," Gabriella teased. She leaned in, needing to feel his lips one more time before she left the room. She pulled away before Troy could deepen the kiss and started towards the door. "See you later, Bolton." Gabriella winked and turned to leave the room, swaying her hips. _'Those hips will actually drive me insane,' _Troy thought to himself.

"Bolton, get your ass down here! It's drinkin' time!" Chad yelled up the stairs. Troy shook his head smiling as he stood up, thankful for the distraction that was Chad Danforth.

* * *

"Best friends… with benefits," Sharpay repeated slowly. "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"It's what will work best. He doesn't have feelings for me and I don't have feelings for him. But we have fantastic sex. It's the perfect solution," Gabriella said, forcing a smile. If she dwelled on her feelings for Troy, then continuing with their deal would only be more difficult. She needed to detach as best as she could.

"Bullshit."

"Shar, I gave you the dirt, now please just let it go," Gabriella said, her eyes begging Sharpay to let one slide. She should have known better.

"Gabriella, there is no way in hell I am letting this go," Sharpay said and her expression suddenly turned softer. "It's not just sex, is it," Sharpay stated more than questioned.

Gabriella's head shot up, meeting the brown eyes of her half-sister. She could feel her own eyes begin to tear up as she thought about her love for Troy. It had seemingly happened suddenly, but how could it be considered sudden when he had been everything to her for 12 years? He had been there for her when she had hit rock bottom after Isabella's death. And he was the one who brought her back up again. When Gabriella had been scared to death of leaving her home to shoot her first movie, Troy had calmed her and reminded her of the fact that it was her dream. Troy had no qualms about telling Gabriella she would be an idiot if she let distance keep her from living her dream. And it was Troy who took a second job so he could save up to surprise Gabriella in Australia during the filming of her movie. No, her love for Troy had not been sudden. It had been steadily building since the first time his blue had eyes met hers. He fascinated her that first day when he declared with confidence that they would get along great. After the awkwardness of their first meeting quickly subsided, they slipped into the friendship that had kept Gabriella going all those years.

Gabriella returned to the moment, tears already falling. Sharpay immediately stepped forward to take Gabriella in her arms. "I love him." Gabriella whispered. Sharpay had to strain her ears to hear Gabriella's words despite their close proximity.

"Oh, Gabi, I'm so sorry for pushing you." Sharpay whispered back as she pulled away to look into Gabriella's eyes. Sharpay was incredibly furious with herself for forcing her sister into this admission. "Can you really continue this deal when you have these feelings?"

"I can't let him go, Shar. If this is the only way I can be with him, then I'll take it." Sharpay started to interject when Gabriella continued, "I know it will be even harder in the end. He'll find someone else who he really cares about and our deal will be over."

Are you sure you're not the one he really cares about?" Sharpay asked cautiously. She was certain that Troy returned Gabriella's feelings. She had observed the two for years, and there was no way that Troy didn't love her. But she knew they had to figure it out for themselves.

"I'm sure. There are moments when he says or does something so perfect that makes me think he might feel _something._ But the moments pass, Shar. I would know if he feels what I feel." Gabriella said, wiping away the last of her tears. "Now can we focus on something else?'

Sharpay took the hint. "Fine, Gabi. But we definitely have a new mission for tonight."

"What's that?" Gabriella asked, already smiling at her sister's ability to distract.

"We're going to make Troy eat his heart out." Sharpay said, a smirk taking over her face. "Now let's peruse this enormous closet of yours and pick out a hot little dress," Sharpay finished with a wink.

As Shar began to browse the many racks of clothes, Gabriella giggled. If her relationship with Troy would only be about sex, then that night she was going to seduce him until he couldn't breathe. Gabriella gave herself a mental pat on the back, and joined her sister in the search for a perfect outfit.

* * *

"Was it as hot as the first time?"

"Focus, Chad!" Troy said forcefully. He had just finished telling his best friend about the night before and the deal he had made with Gabriella.

"Okay, okay. So now you have this deal. Is that enough for you?" Chad asked, again proving that he was much more mature than he let people believe.

"No. It's not." Troy said, dropping his eyes to the floor.

"Then what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing, Chad. If I say anything I might scare her off. I can't let her go right now, Chad. I have her for the time being, and I'm not going to ruin that." Troy said, resolute that he was doing the right thing.

Chad couldn't help but frown at what his best friend was saying. Even though most thought he was emotionally oblivious, he had observed the Gabriella and Troy for several years. Chad thought it was completely obvious that there was something much more than friendship simmering between the two. "Well if you're going to wuss out, you might as well make the best of things." Chad said, with a large smirk that was scarily similar to his wife's.

"Make the best of things?" Troy was scared of whatever plan Chad was concocting.

"You need to drive her absolutely insane tonight." Chad finished.

Troy smiled. "Actually, ever since you called about going to the club tonight, I've been planning something along those lines," Troy said mysteriously, his eyes glazing over as he thought of what was to come. Troy smirked as he returned to the present. "Yep. Tonight I'm going to rock Gabriella's world."

"Dude. Keep it in your pants while I'm in the room." Chad said, his face scrunching up in disgust at the glazed look that had taken over Troy's face again. "Gross. I need a drink."

* * *

"Troy is going to freak when he sees you."

"You think so?' Gabriella responded, hope shining in her eyes. She knew nothing could compare to the feeling she got when Troy ravished her with his eyes. There was nothing sexier than a turned-on Troy Bolton.

"I _know _so." Sharpay said with a large smile. "Now, let's go prove that just the sight of you can give Troy a woody." And with that she turned on her heels and left the room.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, very familiar with her sister's bluntness. With one last glance in the mirror, Gabriella squared her shoulders and made her way downstairs.

"You are so hot, Shar." Gabriella heard Chad say to his wife and Gabriella was sure the two were making out. Even after 3 years of marriage, the two were as horny as ever.

"Yeah, you look great." Troy said impatiently, "Now where's Brie?" He was aching for contact with the woman who had completely taken over Troy's soul. It had only been a couple of hours since he had last seen her, but he was already craving her touch. Yes, Troy Bolton was completely whipped.

"Oh calm down, loverboy. She was right behind me." Sharpay said while glancing over Troy's shoulder. Her smirk widened as she pointed towards the stairs. "And there she is."

Troy took a deep breath and turned around, his heart skipping a beat at the sight in front of him. She was absolutely stunning. Troy took in every inch of her. She was wearing a red silk dress that hit her at mid-thigh showcasing her long legs once again. His gaze lifted to see the silk cinch at her waist and just above was Troy's favorite part; thin straps that dropped to a deep v ended just beneath her breasts. Sharpay had pulled Gabriella's hair up, curly tendrils escaping the bun, framing her face. Troy thought she absolutely glowed from within. And if Troy had even a small part in that creating that glow, he could die happy. He lifted his eyes to her face, and finally noticed her knowing smirk. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. If Troy weren't so turned on, he would be thinking of ways to get back at her. Then again, that could turn out very well for both of them.

'Wow, Gabs." Gabriella heard Chad say. But all she could focus on was the man in front of her and his gorgeous blue eyes. They had darkened to a deep navy, and Gabriella shuddered at their intensity. She wanted so badly to believe that the intensity was more than lust, but she knew better. Their newly developing relationship was based on sex. And Gabriella needed to accept that.

Troy stepped forward to wrap a tendril around his finger while continuing to stare into her eyes. He was speechless, and the tender physical contact was all he could manage at that moment. He was positive that his eyes were conveying everything he was feeling. Suddenly he became aware that he might be conveying _too _much. He lowered his eyes, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hide his feelings for much longer. He just hoped that Gabriella wouldn't notice.

As Troy averted his eyes from Gabriella's, her heart dropped. Maybe her eyes were giving away her feelings and it freaked him out. She wanted so desperately to feel his eyes on her again. She needed to feel that intensity. Finally, Troy looked back up to meet her eyes and the lust was as powerful as before. The hand that was playing with her hair dropped down to grab her hand, lacing their fingers. Gabriella sighed at the simple gesture. He squeezed her hand tightly, wishing he could kiss her, but he could feel Sharpay's and Chad's eyes scrutinizing their every move.

"Great. Now that you two have sufficiently made me sick to my stomach, let's get these ladies caught up to our drinking," Chad said, effectively breaking the moment Gabriella and Troy were sharing.

Gabriella and Troy rolled their eyes simultaneously and shared a small smile. Chad and Sharpay had already made their way to the mini-bar that Gabriella had installed in her recreation room. Gabriella gave Troy's arm a squeeze and walked ahead of him. Troy stayed in his spot watching the sway of her hips. He could feel himself harden as he watched, mesmerized by her graceful movement. He needed to be alone with her.

"Hey, Brie, I need help picking out shoes. Chad, why don't you make our drinks? We'll be right back." Troy said, positive that his intentions were not as subtle as he would have liked.

"Yeah, sure. Shoes. Have fun with that," Sharpay said, adding a wink to her last word.

Troy walked out of the room, somewhat awkwardly as he was still as hard as a rock. Gabriella followed dutifully, walking at as normal of a speed as possible even though she was desperate to be alone with her best friend.

As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, a hand grabbed her wrist dragging her to the kitchen until the two were practically running. Troy was taking her to the place of their first night together. Gabriella became even wetter at the thought. As soon as they entered the room, Troy pushed her against the nearest wall, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. Gabriella immediately opened her lips to accept his tongue and Troy deepened the kiss even farther. Gabriella had already untucked his shirt to run her hands over his washboard abs and Troy groaned at the sensations her touch caused. He slipped both of his hands to her waist, pulling her stomach against his hardness. He pulled away from her lips and moved to her ear, licking and biting on the lobe. Gabriella's head tipped back and she moaned when a surge of heat shot straight to her core. Troy used the increased exposure of her neck to his advantage as he placed kisses on every inch of skin he could find. Finally, he moved his lips to the spot Gabriella needed him. He sucked on her pulse point, not at all caring that he was marking her for the world to see. Gabriella moved her small hands to his belt to pull him harder into her. As her hands began to slip lower, Troy covered her hands. He knew that they didn't have time to finish what they had started. And Chad proved that fact.

"Hey, horndogs! Get your asses in here!" Chad yelled from the other room.

Gabriella heard Sharpay whisper frantically to her husband, scolding him for interrupting what she was sure was an intense make out session. Troy pulled away from Gabriella's lips, only to reattach them in shorter, softer kiss. He moved his hand up to caress her face and smiled. "What you do to me, Brie… I could never have even imagined before. You're just… perfect." Troy whispered.

Gabriella smiled in return. She was so in love with the man in front of her. But she couldn't focus on that. "Come on, let's go back to Mr. Ruin The Moment and Sharpay."

"Why don't you go ahead. I uh… have to talk little Troy down. You made him very excited." Troy said.

Gabriella flashed him a sexy smirk, pleased that she had that effect on him. In a daring move, she grabbed Troy's hand and lifted up her dress. She was once again completely bare underneath. She rubbed Troy's fingers over her lower lips, showing him exactly the effect he had on her. "Well that's what you do to me, Troy Bolton." And with those words, she lifted his fingers to her lips, licking off her juices. Troy's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up towards his hair. "Jesus Christ, Brie" he whispered in response to her actions. Gabriella smirked and as soon as his fingers were licked clean, she pushed Troy away from her body and left the room to join the other couple, not even bothering to look back.

Troy stood in shock. He had never witnessed anything hotter in his entire life. Then he groaned as he realized how hard he was. "Yeah, this is going to take a while," he said out loud as he did his best to fill his head with disgusting thoughts. Finally, he managed to talk himself down, so he left the room to join the rest of his group. As he walked, he couldn't help but think that the time between then and when he finally got to tear Gabriella's clothes off would be the longest hours of his life.


	14. Jealousy

**A/N: Well here's a another one! It's a little shorter again, but it felt like a natural place to cut it off. **

**I'm not super happy with this chapter. I kind of had some writer's block. Hopefully you still like it :-/**

Chapter 14

The four friends walked into the club through a back entrance and they immediately fell in love with the atmosphere. It was a sexy establishment; the walls were painted a deep red and the black accents were prominent. The lighting was low and Gabriella could see couples taking advantage of that. She shared a glance with Troy and both knew it would be extremely difficult to keep their hormones in check. But they were in a public place and they couldn't risk getting caught by anyone.

"Oh my God, we are going to have so much fun tonight!" Sharpay squealed, a little too close to Troy's ear for his liking.

A huge smile lit up Gabriella's face as she continued to check out their surroundings and Troy immediately forgot the rude comment he was about to direct at Sharpay. Gabriella's smile lit up the room and Troy was once again mesmerized by her beauty. Gabriella sensed his gaze and turned to meet his eyes. Her smile only grew as she recognized the look in his eyes. _Later,_ she mouthed.

To say Troy was desperate for Gabriella's touch would be an understatement. After her little stunt in the kitchen, Troy needed her like he needed his next breath. She had steadily been consuming all of him and while it was absolutely torture, Troy loved every minute of it. He knew her better than anyone else and he was positive she was up to something that night. He was also pretty sure that her plan involved the kind of seduction that would drive him mad. Troy's plan was very similar; he would drive her just as crazy as she had driven him since the first night they slept together. But his plan went right out the window as soon as she took his fingers into her mouth less than an hour before. He would submit to everything she would unleash on him. And he would love every minute.

"Well it's time to get our drink on!" Chad exclaimed. "And Troy, I've decided that you will be buying the first round. So get a move on!"

Troy rolled his eyes, but turned to leave for the bar anyways when Gabriella spoke up. "I'll come with you!" Troy smiled and placed his hand on the small of her back protectively, ready to guide her through the crowd. The dark lighting and the fact that mostly everyone in the room was preoccupied helped to get Gabriella and Troy through the crowd without being noticed.

As the two walked away, Sharpay and Chad shared a look. "Those two are idiots, Shar," Chad said shaking his head.

"Do you think we should intervene, somehow?" Sharpay responded, a doubtful look in her eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe it's better if it happens naturally?"

""Yeah but… what if they're _too_ stupid? There's a chance that one of them will break it off when it gets to be too difficult. And then they'll never be honest with each other." Sharpay said slowly, becoming more convinced by the minute that she and her husband needed to intervene.

"They're both acting like fucking pussies."

"I'm going to ignore that comment." Sharpay said, giving her husband a dirty look. "Okay I think we just need to break them down. Repeatedly tell them that they have to make a move. We're very persuasive people, Chad, if only because we can annoy people to the point when they will do absolutely anything to make us shut up. It's a talent we've both mastered."

"I love how you think." Chad said, incredibly turned on by his scheming wife. He grabbed his Sharpay around her waist and pulled her to him, only to plant a passionate kiss on his lips. "Let's dance." Chad whispered, breaking away.

As Gabriella and Troy made their way to the bar, they were suddenly pulled away by a man in his early 30's. "Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton! In my club!" The man gushed. "It really is an honor. I'm Jake Waters, co-owner of this fine established. And I am so sorry I didn't find you right away to escort you to the VIP section."

Gabriella had never gotten used to the special treatment bestowed on her in almost every situation. But she was always grateful for the kindness others showed her. And she knew the VIP section would give them more privacy. "Thank you very much!' Gabriella returned. "And I think I can speak for my whole group when I say that we're very impressed with what you've done here. It truly is a great atmosphere."

"Well thank you very much. We've certainly put a lot of work into it. Now let me get you to the VIP area. You'll have your own bar there, so there's no need to order here. And I can promise that we will do everything in our power to secure your privacy." Jake finished as he gestured in front of him and guided the two back to Chad and Sharpay.

"Oh God," Troy said, rolling his eyes. Chad and Sharpay were already furiously kissing. Although Troy could not say he was surprised. "Hey, break it up. We're moving."

The married couple broke apart, both turning to give Troy matching glares. "Yeah, I'll remember this the next time you and Gabs are…" Chad started.

"Okay! How about if you don't finish that sentence," Gabriella whispered frantically, gesturing with her head to the owner of the establishment who was standing behind her. Gabriella flashed her most charming smile. "Okay, Jake, now that we're all here, we're ready to go."

_'Is she _flirting _with him?' _Troy thought to himself, jealousy immediately flashing through his body. He stepped forward to place his hand back on the small of Gabriella's waist. She jumped at the contact, and turned to shake her head at Troy, silently telling him that the gesture was too intimate in the company of others. Troy reluctantly removed his hand and the group moved forward to follow Jake through the crowd.

The group entered the VIP area and Chad and Sharpay's jaws immediately dropped. In the room were almost a dozen of Hollywood's favorites and their entourages. Both had visited Troy and Gabriella on the sets of their various projects, but never had they seen so many stars in one place. Gabriella and Troy were unfazed and continued to follow Jake towards the bar. Jake instructed the bartender to take good care of the group.

The group received their drinks began to greet the others in the room. Chad and Sharpay finally returned to their normal selves and left for the dance floor. Gabriella and Troy's eyes followed, staring longingly at the couples who were able to show their affections. _'It wouldn't be that bad if I asked her to dance, would it?' _Troy thought to himself as he took a long sip of his drink._ 'It's not like we never danced in public together before this whole thing started. Yeah. I'm going to go for it.'_

Just as Troy stepped closer to Gabriella, she was pulled away by a co-star from one of her earlier films. Troy let out a sigh of frustration as he watched her glance back at him quickly, sending him a sexy smile. Troy gulped down the rest of his drink and made his way back to the bar for another one. _'If I'm going to have to watch her all night without being able to touch her, I'm definitely going to need more alcohol.'_ As Troy sipped his new drink, he glanced back at Gabriella, only to see her with another co-star that Troy immediately recognized. Alex fucking Hudson. The same Alex Hudson from the after-party. The same Alex Hudson that had always had a crush on Gabriella. The _same_ Alex Hudson who was running his hand up Gabriella's arm as he smiled cockily. Troy clenched his fists and slammed his drink back on the bar, ready to pull Gabriella away from the bastard. As he stepped forward, he felt a hand on his arm and Troy whipped around angrily only to see Chad staring at him sympathetically.

"Dude, don't." Chad said forcefully while shaking his head.

"Chad, he's practically feeling her up!" Troy exclaimed, not bothering to keep his voice down.

"He's not feeling her up, Troy." Chad said, trying to calm his friend down. "I know that it's difficult to watch, but what did you think was going to happen? Because of the deal that _you _agreed to, she's not really yours. And you can't expect her to stay around forever." Chad desperately hoped that scaring the shit out of Troy was the best way to get him to be honest with the woman he loved.

Troy continued to stare at Gabriella as she interacted with Alex. Chad was absolutely right. But he knew that he could lose Gabriella no matter what he chose to do. And that terrified him.

"I can't, Chad." Troy said, his face showing the internal battle he was having with himself.

"Stop being so afraid!" Chad almost screamed, "She's everything to you. And you're going to lose her if you don't step up. You'll always regret it, Troy."

Troy stared at his best male friend knowing that he was absolutely right. "I just… can't think about this right now. Not when that guy is coming on to her. Now, I'm going over there to ask her to dance." Chad opened his mouth to interrupt. "I promise I'll be nice." Troy finished, knowing what Chad was going to say.

"Alright man. Go get her." Chad said with a small smile.

Troy nodded in response and made his way to Gabriella, his eyes narrowing again as he saw Alex reach out to touch Gabriella's arm again. "Hey, Brie," Troy greeted after he reached the two. He turned to Alex, "Hudson. It's just wonderful to see you." Troy's tone was obviously sarcastic, but he didn't care. "I'm going to borrow Gabriella here. See ya." And with those words Troy grabbed Gabriella's arm and pulled her gently to the dance floor, immediately wrapping his arms around her waist.

Gabriella pulled away slightly, preparing to scold Troy for being so obvious. Truthfully, she loved the protective side of Troy. It turned her on. She looked up and met his blue eyes that were staring right into her. "That was rude, Troy. We were having a nice conversation." Gabriella said with very little conviction.

"I don't care." Troy said as he continued to stare into her eyes. Gabriella's heart leaped at the intensity. "Now that that's out of the way. Let's dance," he practically demanded. Gabriella couldn't help the smile that lit up her face at the obvious lust in his voice.

A fast song was playing and Troy knew that Gabriella's dance moves would drive him insane with need. And she didn't disappoint. She turned in his arms so her back was pressed against his stomach and began to move up and down, rubbing her body against Troy's groin. Troy couldn't contain the moan that left his lips. She was unbelievable sexy. When Gabriella moved up Troy wasted no time in flipping her around, needing to see her face. Gabriella smirked as Troy reached down to grab her arms and pulled them up to wrap around his neck. The two continued to move their bodies against each other as they stared into each other's eyes. Troy couldn't contain himself as he leaned forward to whisper huskily in her ear. "I need you." Gabriella shuddered at the feeling of his warm breath against her ear and tipped her head back, giving him complete access to her neck. Troy took the hint and attached his lips to her pulse point, sucking greedily. Neither cared that they were other people around. It was as if it were only them in the room.

Gabriella pulled his head back in front of her to meet his eyes again. Gabriella's were shining with arousal and Troy's breath caught at the sight. _Bathroom. 3 minutes. _Gabriella mouthed. She abruptly turned around and left his arms. Troy immediately missed her warmth. But it was definitely a small price to pay. Troy walked to the back of the room and glanced at his watch every ten seconds. After a minute and a half, Troy decided the he had waited long enough and started towards the bathroom. When he reached the door, he peeked his head in whispering, "Brie?"

Suddenly a small hand wrapped around his shirt and he was pulled towards a warm, impatient mouth. Troy immediately deepened the kiss, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and Gabriella met him every step of the way. Troy reached behind him, grasping blindly for the lock on the door. When the lock was turned, he pushed Gabriella towards the long counter and grabbed her hips, lifting her up to set her on top while never breaking the kiss. Gabriella pushed her fingers into his hair and pulled him even closer, if that was possible. Troy pulled her groin harder into his own and Gabriella moved against him, making Troy let out a sexy moan. Troy lifted up one of the hands that were wrapped around her waist only to cup her breast, his thumb teasing the nipple. Gabriella broke the kiss on a gasp and attached her mouth to his neck, loving the taste of his skin. She nibbled lightly and Troy let out another moan. He reached down between them, needed to feel her for the second time that night.

Suddenly, the last voice they wanted to her filtered in through the door. "Okay, I know you guys are going to hate me for interrupting yet again, but there are a team of undercover paparazzi here. Someone must have tipped them off! We need to get the hell out of here." Chad whispered frantically.

Troy and Gabriella's eyes widened and they immediately jumped apart. "Shit, Troy!" Gabriella whispered as she reached up to fix Troy's hair. Troy placed Gabriella back on the floor and pulled her dress down, trying to make her look as normal as possible.

"We'll get out of here without getting caught." Troy said, mustering up some confidence. "So. Ready to make a break for it?"

Gabriella nodded. "Ready."

Troy opened up the door cautiously, only to be greeted by Jake. The co-owner's mouth dropped as he realized what had been going on in the bathroom. "Uh…We have a way to get you out of here." He said, snapping back to his senses. "I apologize for the inconvenience. They're being escorted out as we speak, but it's best if we get you out of here now." Jake gestured in front of him, indicating that the two should step out to follow him. Troy and Gabriella shared a look and followed the proprietor's lead. Chad and Sharpay were waiting at the back door, Chad flashing an apologetic look. _I'm sorry,_ he mouthed. Troy shrugged, silently saying that it wasn't his fault.

"We have two cars waiting in the back to take you home. Again, I sincerely apologize." Jake said sincerely. As Troy and Gabriella moved to step the back door, Jake cleared his throat. "Your secret is safe with me." He whispered.

Gabriella and Troy smiled in response, thanking him with their eyes. They finally stepped out the door and after waving goodbye to Chad and Sharpay, they ran towards the car, eager to get as far away as possible from the club as possible.

"Well, this was certainly not the night I imagined." Troy said, smirking slightly.

"It's not anywhere near over, Bolton," Gabriella whispered with a knowing smirk. After checking to see if the driver was paying attention, she reached down to graze Troy's crotch lightly.

Troy held back a groan. "You do realize what you're in for when we get home right? I'm going to make you scream, Montez." Troy whispered quietly in her ear.

Gabriella smirked and pulled her hand away, placing it back in her lap, planning to continue the torture until he reached his breaking point. "Is that a promise?"

"Absolutely."


	15. Three Days AG

**A/N: Well this is definitely my favorite chapter so far. As you noticed, it's been a little bit longer than usual since my last update. I worked really hard on this one. I wanted it to be as good as it could possibly be. **

**And I now have a wonderful, spectacular, amazing beta, laughxoutxloud. She's been so helpful with advice and tips. I won't lie, the comma is not my friend. I definitely needed some help with that :-) So thank you times a million! And make sure you read her stories!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 15

Troy Bolton was certainly no virgin before Gabriella, or B.G. as he had taken to calling it. No, that ship had sailed around ten years B.G. Troy would never be considered promiscuous, but he had definitely been with his fair share of women. And he'd had some fantastic sex. But at three days A.G., Troy could honestly say that all of the women he'd been with _combined_ could not even come close to comparing to the wonder that was Gabriella Montez. The same Gabriella whose mouth was fused to his own, her tongue tangling with his in an intimate dance.

It had been ten minutes since Troy had laced his fingers with Gabriella's, pulling her out of the car that had escorted them safely from the club. He had pulled her along as casually as he could until the car disappeared around the corner and as soon as it was out of sight, he grabbed Gabriella around the waist and pulled her towards his mouth. Gabriella had sighed against his unbelievably soft, inviting lips and she had responded by lifting her hands so her fingers could wrap around his hair while sucking his tongue into her mouth. Troy reluctantly pulled away and flashed her a cunning grin. Before Gabriella could try to figure out what the look meant, Troy had thrown her over his shoulder, and started towards the front door.

"Troy, put me down!" Gabriella had hissed, feigning exasperation. Secretly, she was shocked that Troy could still be playful, even in the heat of the moment. It just added to her list of reasons why she completely in love with him.

"Not until we are safely inside that house, Montez." Troy had said punctuating her name with a gentle slap on her ass.

"You really need to stop doing that, Bolton." Gabriella had admonished even while a shiver ran up her spine. Any physical contact with Troy was intoxicating.

Troy grabbed Gabriella's handbag off of her arm that was dangling by his side and filtered through it for her keys. Thankfully, they were easy to find in the small purse. He swiftly unlocked the door and carried Gabriella into the elegant foyer that Gabriella had spent three days painting a soft gold with chocolate brown crown molding trimming the ceiling and floor. To the right and the left of the room were two sweeping staircases in a matching brown. It had truly been a labor of love for Gabriella, but the hard work definitely paid off. Troy thought that the sophistication of the room embodied Gabriella's graceful demeanor.

Troy walked to the middle of the room and slowly set Gabriella down, sliding her down the front of his body. He kept his arms wrapped around her small frame and looked down at her, once again entranced by her beauty. He thought that she absolutely glowed from within and it fascinated him. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her that happy and he hoped more than anything that he had played a part in that.

"Troy…" Gabriella murmured, transfixed by the fiery emotion in his eyes.

"Gabriella…" Troy began, knowing he needed to think out carefully what he would say next. "I just…"

"What is it, Troy?" Gabriella's heart was fluttering madly. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he was about to say something important. He seemed to be searching for something in her eyes and Gabriella immediately felt vulnerable.

"I…" Troy attempted for the second time. '_I can't do this. It will ruin us." _Troy decided. "You're just… amazing, Brie." Troy finished with a weak smile. _'Why am I such a pussy?' _he thought, groaning internally.

Gabriella's face dropped slightly. She was sure he was going to say something else. But his words still affected more than she could say. Even if he didn't love her in return, he still cared about her deeply. And that would have to do.

Troy snapped out of his self-loathing and again met the brown eyes of his best friend that were shining with emotion. _'I love you, Gabriella.' _Troy thought, trying to express the words with his eyes. That would have to do for now.

Troy dipped his head just as Gabriella raised hers and their lips met in the most delicate of kisses. But as soon as the kiss ended, Troy pressed his lips harder against hers as the desire he had felt all night returned full force.

Gabriella whimpered as he licked her lower lip, his tongue begging for entrance. She accepted greedily as heat exploded in her body. She knew she was already wet. Hell, she had been wet all night. Everything he did turned her on. And she was definitely not complaining.

It didn't take long for the kisses to become frantic. They were trying to take in as much of the other as possible. Gabriella was working on ripping Troy's blazer off as Troy was backing her towards the nearest wall. He pushed her against the hard surface, leading with his groin and both cried out at the sensations the contact between their pelvises caused. Gabriella's legs buckled underneath her and Troy responded by wrapping his arms tighter around her waist before moving his hands to her hips to lift her up. Gabriella wrapped her thighs around his mid-section and grinded against him. Troy reached up a hand to caress her breast, but it wasn't enough for either of them. He broke away to place kisses all over her neck, sucking at her sensitive spot briefly before moving his lips to her shoulder. He slowly began to lower one of the straps of her dress to reveal a mocha breast. He raised her higher so he could wrap his mouth around one of her nipples. Gabriella let out a guttural groan, a rush of heat flooding her core. Troy nibbled, sucked, and licked before giving the same treatment to her other breast. Suddenly, Gabriella sprung into action and slid down his body, planting her feet back on the floor. She grinned up at the man in front of her before leaning up to place a wet kiss on his mouth.

She lifted her hands to the buttons on his shirt and slowly began to undo each one, making sure to leave a kiss on the each piece of newly revealed flesh. Finally she was able to slip his shirt off of his shoulders and she immediately took a nipple into her mouth, and bit down softly. Troy wrapped his fingers in her hair as his head tipped back in pleasure. But Gabriella had other plans in mind. She lowered her hands to his belt and unfastened it quickly, before unzipping his pants. She wasted no time in pushing his jeans down along with his boxers and Troy stared down in shock, having an inkling of what would be happening next.

With one last mischievous glance up at the man in front of her, Gabriella lowered to her knees and gazed at the beautiful sight in front of her. Gabriella had never been a fan of the appearance of penises. Truthfully she thought they were ugly. But not Troy's. Everything about it was perfect. She leaned forward and took the head into his mouth before abruptly sliding her head down quickly until all of his length was buried in her mouth. Troy exhaled roughly, loving the sensations Gabriella was causing. She began to bob her head while licking all around the circumference as she moved. Troy had to exercise an enormous amount of self-restraint so as not to thrust his hips in time with mouth. So he braced his hands against the wall in front of him as he periodically clenched his fists until they turned white. He knew he would have marks on his palms from the pressure of his fingernails, but he could care less. He was receiving the best blow job of his life.

"I can't… I'm gonna… Uhn…" he murmured incoherently. Gabriella took that as he cue to suck harder as she reached down to fondle his balls gently. And then Troy exploded. He cried out as he released in large spurts into the back of Gabriella's throat and she swallowed everything he offered. She made sure to keep her mouth moving until his violent shuddering subsided. After he was spent, Gabriella leaned back on her haunches and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand.

Troy leaned his head against his arms as he slowly came down to earth. He vaguely noticed Gabriella slipping out from between him and the wall, so he opened his eyes and turned around only to be met with the sight of an enormous, shit-eating grin.

Troy laughed at the sight with the little energy he had left. "Well, you're certainly pleased with yourself," he whispered affectionately.

"Are you saying I shouldn't be, Bolton?" Gabriella shot back, her smile only widening.

"Oh no, you should definitely be happy with your performance. That was the best fucking blow job I've ever gotten, Brie. And the fact that it was you is just… wow." Troy said as he slipped a loose strand of Gabriella's hair behind her ear. Gabriella leaned into his touch, sighing at the emotions the simple touch caused. "Now, come over here." Troy pulled Gabriella towards him, leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet kiss, not at all caring that he could taste himself on her tongue. In fact, he thought it was incredibly erotic.

Troy pulled away from the kiss as he realized that he was severely underdressed compared to Gabriella. He lowered the hands that had been cupping her face to her shoulders. With a feather-light touch, he ran his fingertips down the lengths of her arms until they joined with hers. He threaded their fingers and lifted both to his mouth so he could place a kiss on each of her knuckles, all while staring deep into Gabriella's eyes. She shivered at the sensations his lips were causing in combination with the look in his eyes. Without breaking eye contact, Troy lowered his hands to her sides and pulled away to reach around her back to lower the zipper of her dress, the sound piercing the silence. Troy carefully slid the dress down, baring her breasts, and then her flat stomach, next her perfectly curved hips until finally she stood before him in all her glory. Troy drank in the sight of her body, from her pert breasts to her bare lips down below. Troy was speechless, so he spoke with his hands, lifting them up to circle her already hardened nipples with his thumbs. Gabriella inhaled sharply, gasping out his name. She met Troy's gaze steadily, silently asking him to stop the torture. Troy took the hint and swiftly took her in his arms. If he couldn't tell her he loved her, then he would show her.

As Troy carried Gabriella into her bedroom, he abruptly stopped, feeling the need to appreciate what Gabriella had done with the room. He had been in Gabriella's bedroom dozens of times, but for the first time he realized just how romantic the atmosphere was. His eyes swept over the room as if he were seeing it for the first time. The walls were painted in a rich gold, much deeper than the color in the foyer. Sheer white curtains adorned the bay windows letting plenty of light in during the day when Gabriella often wrote her songs. At night, like at that moment, the lighting was a soft yellow, casting shadows along the walls. A white comforter with intricate gold threading trimmed the enormous king size bed while gold pillows lined the headboard. The aura of the room was perfect for what Troy had in store for Gabriella. She began to fidget in his arms, so he entered the room and walked to the bed, carefully setting her down on top. One after the other he removed her shoes, making sure to place a kiss on the soles of each foot. Gabriella stared down in amazement at the manner in which he was treating her. She had never felt so turned on.

"Troy, please."

Their eyes met and Troy's heart leapt in response to the way she was looking at him. For a second, he could almost believe that she returned his feelings. But it was just friendly love in her eyes. It had to be. But behind that was a longing that Troy would never have thought would be directed at him. She needed him. So he slid up her body, aided by their slick skin. Finally, his lips reached hers and Troy slipped his tongue deep into her mouth, pouring everything he was feeling into the kiss. As the kiss heated up, Troy brushed his fingers down her body to her waiting core, sliding his fingers between her lips. Gabriella cried out and thrust up into his hand, her back arching like a bow as Troy began to rub her clit slowly. His lips left hers to leave a wet trail down her torso until finally they met his fingers. He replaced the fingers that had been stroking her clit with his lips and then he started to suck and lick eagerly while thrusting his free fingers into her wetness. Gabriella squirmed and cried out, chanting his name. Troy knew she was close so he doubled his efforts, sucking harder and curling his fingers to tease that spot deep inside of her. Gabriella came violently as she writhed on the bed, her walls clenching spastically around Troy's fingers. Troy hardened even further at the sight of the woman in front of him. A primitive urge came over him as he slid back up her body and in one swift move, he buried himself to the hilt before Gabriella had even come down from her peak. Her eyes shot open in shock at the sudden invasion. But it felt so good. She lifted her legs to wrap tightly around his waist and immediately fell into Troy's frantic rhythm. Their eyes met and Gabriella gasped at the rawness she saw in the blue eyes she loved so much. Her eyes slid shut as the emotions running through her body overwhelmed her senses.

"No, keep them open," Troy grunted.

Gabriella obeyed and blue met brown again. "I'm gonna…"

"Me too. Come with me."

At the sound of his breathy voice, Gabriella shattered again, tightening around Troy as he released deep inside of her. Troy collapsed against her as they both gasped for breath. When Troy regained some conscious thought, he pulled out and rolled on his back, taking Gabriella with him. She curled up at his side, loving how well she fit in his arms.

No words were needed and Gabriella tightened her hold on Troy as she felt him drift off to sleep. As soon as his breathing evened out, she lifted herself away from his body feeling the urge to watch him sleep. He looked blissful, a small smile gracing his features. Gabriella absorbed as much as she could, wanting so badly to remember that moment forever. How would she ever let him go? Curled up in his arms was the only place that Gabriella wanted to be. She could see herself entwined with him in ten, twenty, even eighty years. She could stay there forever. She brought up one hand and traced his flawless face gently, mindful not to wake him. As much as she didn't want to let him go, she would have to someday. Soon. But that night, he was hers. So with a sad smile she returned to her place beside Troy's body and wrapped herself around him.

And right before she fell asleep, she uttered the words she wished she could say while looking into his eyes. "I love you, Troy."


	16. Yes

**A/N: Wow! I'm just so happy with the number of reviews from the last chapter! It really makes me feel like the all the hard work is worth it. You guys are awesome! **

**Hope you enjoy this one!**

Chapter 16

"I need a more sophisticated word for stupid," Sharpay said as she typed furiously on her blackberry, searching an online thesaurus. "Okay, here we go. Dense… dim… thick… foolish… Ooo vapid! I like vapid. Gabriella, you are so totally vapid!"

The two sisters were sitting at the island in Gabriella's enormous kitchen, eating frozen peas. It was an odd habit that they had since they were little, and were shocked to find out that they shared when they first met 6 years earlier. Sharpay had arrived uninvited fifteen minutes before and Gabriella had immediately known by the fervent look in her eyes that the drama queen was on a mission. And if she knew her sister at all, then Sharpay would not give up until that mission was accomplished.

"Wow, Shar, I don't think you've ever been as loving as you are right now," Gabriella replied, her voice dipping with sarcasm. "Now why exactly are you giving me this lovely vocabulary lesson?"

"Because I need you to snap out of this denial you seem to be so fond of." Sharpay stated.

"And how am I in denial?" Gabriella asked, knowing very well what Sharpay was getting at.

"You're completely refusing to believe that Troy Bolton is IN LOVE with you!" Sharpay shrieked. Thankfully, Troy had left the house 45 minute prior, presumably to play basketball with Chad. "How could you be so blind? I mean, the description you gave me of last night clearly proves how deep his feelings run. It wasn't just sex this time." Sharpay finished.

"The way he treated me last night was just because he cares for me as a _friend_. How many times do I have to tell you that he doesn't return my feelings?" Gabriella stressed each word, desperate to get through to her sister. "And frankly, you're only making this harder for me."

"Gabs, that's not at all my intention. I just don't want to see you risk what would be the best relationship of your life because you're too afraid to take a chance."

"We've been through this. If I say anything then I could jeopardize our friendship. And I can't lose him, Shar." Gabriella's eyes filled with tears as she thought of what life would be like without Troy in it.

"I'm not saying you need to profess your love. I'm just saying you should tell him you want more than this idiotic 'best friends with benefits' thing." Sharpay reached out to grab Gabriella's hand. She felt some guilt for pushing so hard, but she knew the plan her and Chad had come up with would be worth it in the end when the two nincompoops finally figured it out. "Gabriella, you will regret letting this opportunity pass you by for the rest of your life. I can promise you that."

Gabriella stared at Sharpay thoughtfully. Part of her knew that her sister was right, but could she really risk everything? Slowly, but surely, Sharpay was starting to break her down.

* * *

"I'm about to punch you in the face."

Chad and Troy were taking a short break from their game. Both had already taken their shirts and each man was wearing loose shorts, Chad in green and Troy in a light blue. With their skin glistening in the sun and their heaving chests showcasing their taut muscles, they were the picture of hotness.

"Dude, what's with the violence?" Troy stared at Chad, knowing what was to come. It definitely would not a relaxing pause from their intense game.

"I don't know how many times I can say this to you." Chad stated, incredibly fed up with his friend. "You're making a huge mistake by not saying anything to her."

Troy groaned in response. "Here we go again…"

"Yes, here we go again. And we will go again and again and again until I finally get through to you. I love you like a brother, man. And I'm not going to let you pass up this opportunity." Chad looked into his friend's eyes, his sincerity overwhelming Troy.

"Just… what if…" Troy started

"Yeah, what if. What if she doesn't feel the same way? I get it." Chad paused. "But, Troy… what if you get everything you want?"

Troy looked into the distance, not focusing on anything in particular. What if he _did_ get everything he wanted? Everything he could _ever_ want.

It was time to take a chance.

* * *

Troy shut the door of his silver BMW convertible and slowly made his way up the driveway. His palms were sweating and his heart was thumping madly in his chest. The last time he had been this terrified was the day he found Gabriella standing outside his door, soaking wet from the pouring rain and crying for her aunt's fate.

Troy was snapped out of his thoughts by the woman who drove him crazy most of the time; Sharpay was standing in the doorway in bright pink pants and a form fitting white blazer, white stilettos adorning her feet. She was hugging Gabriella, appearing to be saying goodbye. "Love ya, girlie. Give me a call tomorrow. We'll do lunch." With those words she flipped around only to lay eyes on the man who had stolen her sister's heart. "Bolton." Sharpay called with a knowing smirk.

_'Oh God, they've been talking about me." _Troy thought while glancing behind the woman to meet Gabriella's eyes. His eyes dropped down as he took in her appearance. Her feet were bare, and she was wearing extremely short shorts that revealed her gorgeous legs. Troy lifted his eyes further and noticed the modest, gray wife-beater and her hair was styled in her natural curls, tumbling over her shoulders. Even dressed down she was the most beautiful woman he would ever lay eyes on. He lifted his eyes to her makeup-free face and she sent him a sweet smile. Troy instantly remembered what he would be doing in a matter of minutes. For the first time in his life, he wanted Sharpay to stay for many more hours. Anything to put off the inevitable.

"Well, I'm heading out. It's Chad's and my 'experimental' night. One of us gets to choose some crazy sex act and we have to do it!" Sharpay exclaimed. "Like last week…"

"And you're done. Goodbye, Sharpay." Troy mentally took back his previous thoughts. It was definitely time for Sharpay to leave.

"Oh fine, you spoilsport. Tootles!" Sharpay replied while strutting down the driveway, making sure to flash a wink at Troy as she walked past him.

Troy rolled his eyes and continued up the driveway, losing confidence with every step. _'No, no, no, I can't do this.' _he thought to himself, _'Look at how happy she is, Troy. You can't risk taking that away from her.'_

"Hey," Gabriella whispered, beaming at the man in front of her. Until his eyes met hers.

"Uh, hey, Brie." Gabriella's heart dropped down to her stomach. _'Oh God, it's happening. He's ending our deal.'_

Troy saw her face fall and he knew she had noticed the look in his eyes. She thought he was ending things. Well, he definitely wasn't ready for that. So he mustered up the brightest smile he could manage and leaned forward to crash his lips onto hers. Gabriella responded immediately, relieved for the moment, and wrapped her arms around his neck while Troy placed his hands on her waist to draw her closer. Gabriella let out a soft moan and Troy immediately felt himself begin to harden. He backed her into the house and lifted her up so her feet left the ground, ready to take her to the large beige couch in the adjacent room. He had taken to calling it the "red room" due to the deep red paint that decorated the walls. Gabriella felt the back of her legs hit the bottom of the couch and the two lovers fell backwards. Troy did his best to keep the majority of his weight off of her by straddling her waist as he bent down to capture her lips again, swiftly thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Gabriella lowered her hands to the hem of his shirt and pulled. Troy sat back to pull the garment over his head while Gabriella used her strong abs to lean up slightly to place kisses all over his chest. Troy shuddered and pulled her completely up so they were both in a sitting position. He kept his hands on Gabriella's back and tilted his head just enough to lick Gabriella's lower lip, begging for entrance again. Gabriella whimpered against his mouth as the kiss deepened. Troy's heart soared at the sound and he knew what he had to do.

"Be my girlfriend," he whispered against her lips.

Gabriella's eyes shot open. "Wh…What?"

"Be my girlfriend," he repeated. "I want more with you. This deal isn't enough for me. I want _you."_

Gabriella stared, speechless. Her mind raced, filled with questions. Was this actually happening? Troy wanted her? What if it was just the heat of the moment? If she said yes, she would still be risking her heart. But was that any worse than what she was risking by continuing their deal?

Troy's heart dropped as he watched Gabriella fight an internal battle. _'Oh fuck, she's not responding. She's thinking of way to let me down easy. Shit, I've ruined everything. She's going to freak out now and we'll never be the same. No more late night movie marathons, no more toilet papering Chad's and Sharpay's house in the middle of the night, no more…'_

"Yes." Gabriella said quietly, a smile beginning to form on her face. Sharpay was right. This was a risk Gabriella needed to take.

Now it was Troy's turn to stare in shock. "Um… what?" He had spent all of the time between leaving Chad and arriving at the house preparing himself for rejection. He hadn't dared to let himself consider the possibility of her acceptance.

"Yes, Troy. _God, _yes." The smile that exploded on Troy's face was the most beautiful sight Gabriella had ever seen. He wanted her. He wanted to be with her. Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. Boyfriend and Girlfriend. She felt like a giddy teenager again as her blood pulsed in her veins. It was a heady feeling and Gabriella wouldn't trade it for the world.

The two grinned stupidly at one another until Troy realized that they were still in a compromising position. And if the poking at Gabriella's inner-thigh was any indication, Gabriella had some work to do. Troy dipped down to meet Gabriella's smiling mouth in their first kiss as a couple. Troy thought she tasted even sweeter now that she was officially his. He wrapped her back in his arms and lowered her back onto the couch while continuing to massage her lips with his own. It was Gabriella this time who slipped her tongue out to lightly lick his lower lip, asking for entrance and Troy accepted, his tongue peeking out to join with hers. The kiss deepened and Gabriella slid her hand between their bodies to run her hand over Troy's erection.

Troy's eyes opened wide at the intimate contact and he reluctantly pulled away from her lips. He didn't want their first time as a couple to be on a couch. Besides, he had grown to love her bed. As soon as Gabriella opened her eyes, Troy leaned down to rub his nose against hers and whispered, "We're going upstairs to do this properly." Gabriella's heart fluttered at the intensity in his words.

"Okay," she managed to squeak. Troy smirked at her reaction his words. It was about time he had some control in their relationship. Since the very beginning of their deal, he had been aware of the fact that Gabriella held all the cards. He would do absolutely anything for her, and seeing her lose some of the control she had over him turned Troy on to no end.

Troy lifted himself off of the couch and once he was in a standing position, he leaned down to place a soft kiss on Gabriella's lips as he used his strength to cradle her in his arms. Gabriella smiled into the kiss, loving the gentle side of Troy that he was showing her.

Troy stumbled a few times while making his way up the stairs. Gabriella was doing a fantastic job distracting him, rubbing her hands over his chest as she planted wet kisses all over his neck. She was driving him crazy. What happened to him being in control for once?And if she continued her actions, his plan to take things slow would go right out the window. He needed to sidetrack her.

"Brie, do you have any concern for your life? Because I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting how to walk. Is it one foot in front of the other? No, that doesn't sound right. Maybe it's…_Fuck." _Gabriella interrupted his attempt at humor by biting down on the tendon in his neck. At the feeling of her teeth on his skin, Troy ran up the final steps and set her down on her feet as soon as he reached the landing. Gabriella felt her world spin as Troy flipped her around to push her back into the nearest wall, seizing her lips in a brutal kiss. His body drove hard into hers and Gabriella cried out at the contact. She could feel Troy hard against her and that thought sent a rush of warmth to her pelvis.

'_Dammit, Troy, slow the fuck down!' _he thought to himself after Gabriella let out a particularly sexy moan. He wanted to show Gabriella the depth of his feelings. And screwing her against a wall was not the best way to go about that. That's what the second round was for.

He slowed down the kiss, but the passion that seemed to constantly burn between them remained. Gabriella felt the shift and knew what he wanted. He wanted to slow down the tempo to make their first time as a couple memorable. Although to her, no matter what the pace was, she would remember everything about that day. Was it possible to fall even more in love with the man? She thought it wasn't conceivable to adore him anymore than she already did, but it seemed like everyday she fell even harder. She would let him set the pace that time, but the next time she would take over.

"Troy. Take me to bed." A soft smile graced Troy's features in response. He loved that woman. And he would always do anything for her. It just so happened that he would also benefit from her request.

He placed another lingering kiss on her lips and grasped her hand, pulling her to the bedroom. When they arrived at the large bed he had decided to name, Troy stopped and turned to regard the beauty in front of him. She was definitely wearing too many clothes. He stepped towards her and raised the hand he had never relinquished to place a kiss on her open palm. Gabriella exhaled softly and Troy knew he had done something right. He lowered her hand to her side and let go, ready to grasp the hem of her shirt to lift over her head. Gabriella raised her arms to assist his actions and Troy finished removing the garment, throwing it out of the way. Gabriella moved her hands to her shorts prepared to lower them when Troy reached out to grab her wrists. "Let me undress you. Please." Troy requested and Gabriella gave a slight nod, not able to find her voice. Her hands dropped to her sides and Troy immediately placed his hands on the top of her shorts to slide them down while never breaking eye contact. Gabriella gave an involuntary shudder when his hands grazed her inner thighs as he let the shorts fall to the ground. Suddenly he leaned forward, grazing his lips against hers before gently nudging her head to the side with his cheek, allowing him unlimited access to her neck. He placed delicate kisses all over the expanse of skin offered while he reached around her back to unclasp her bra. He lifted his hands to lower the straps one by one, making sure to kiss the flesh underneath. He looked down once her torso was bare, and appreciated her body. It truly was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Seeing the hungry look in his eyes turned Gabriella on even more. She was very close to reaching her breaking point. She needed him inside her.

Gabriella unexpectedly gripped his face, pulling his lips to hers in a fiery kiss. Troy responded immediately, pushing his tongue into her pliant mouth. Gabriella yearned to feel him heavy in her hand, so she quickly lowered his shorts, leaving him in his black boxer briefs. She brushed her fingertips against his hardness and Troy let out a deep groan, feeling electricity shoot up his spine. Gabriella stepped back to admire his perfect form. His rippled abs and strong biceps never ceased to amaze her. He was an Adonis in her eyes.

"You know, my body does even more than provide you with eye candy," Troy joked as he watched her drink in the sight of him.

Gabriella mentally rolled her eyes, ready to take him down a few notches. She licked her lips slowly and sensually, slowly raising one hand to cup one breast, rolling the nipple with her thumb and index finger. With the other hand she played with the top of her tiny thong and Troy's mouth dropped open as he stared in shock. "Prove it, Bolton," she whispered seductively.

Troy never turned down a challenge. He lowered his briefs in one swift move and roughly grasped her waist, bringing her to his body so he could attack her lips. As he probed the recesses of her mouth, he pushed down her panties while simultaneously walking her backwards to the bed. When her panties were off, Gabriella kicked them across the room and Troy immediately lowered her onto the bed. Gabriella thought he fit perfectly between her legs. They both knew that there was no time for foreplay; they were desperate to be joined. Troy rubbed the head of his penis along her lips, paying extra attention to her clit, and Gabriella arched off the bed, crying out his name. At the sound of her breathy voice, Troy lowered the tip slightly and slid himself in, inch by inch. He grasped the back of her thighs and pushed them towards her chest, allowing him even deeper access.

"Shit_,_ Brie, you're so fucking tight," Troy groaned and Gabriella responded with an incoherent mumble, too distracted by the feelings he was provoking in her.

Once Troy was fully seated in her, he pulled himself out slowly until he was barely inside her only to thrust himself roughly back inside her. Gabriella was beginning to writhe on the bed as Troy built up a steady pattern, removing himself almost completely and then plunging back in. Gabriella met him every time until both felt their climaxes approaching fast. Troy sped up while reaching down to fondle her clit. Soon, Gabriella was screaming as she shattered and Troy followed quickly as her walls milked him dry.

Troy collapsed on his back beside her and both remained panting, doing their best to breathe normally. "Best…sex…ever," Troy said between breaths.

Gabriella smiled in response even though he couldn't see her face. So she turned on her side to find her place in his arms and Troy immediately pulled her closer. Soon after, their breathing evened out and Gabriella's mind filled with questions again.

"Hey, boyfriend?" Troy returned back to earth at the sound of her sweet voice.

"Yes, girlfriend?" He replied, and Gabriella grinned, loving how natural the word sounded rolling off his tongue.

"How do you…" Gabriella trailed off, trying to build up the courage to ask the question that was eating away at her. She just had to go for it. "How do you know you _really_ want to be with me? That it's not just the sex?"

Troy sighed and turned onto his side so he could look into her eyes. How could he make her understand without revealing everything? He still couldn't tell her he loved her. Not until he knew she felt the same way. If she ever would. So he would just have to be as honest with her as he could without divulging how deep his feelings ran. "Brie," he started as he grabbed one of her hands to rub her palm with his thumb, "I just _know_… I think about you all day. I mean, seriously, all _fucking_ day. And not just about the sex. I think about how when you grab my hand or caress my face, I get butterflies right here," he said as he lifted her hand to rest on his stomach. "I know because the thought of you with another guy makes me want to scream. I know because you support me even when everyone else thinks I'm crazy. I know because you're just… you're _everything_, Brie."

Gabriella did her best to fight the tears as she regarded the sincerity in his voice and eyes, but it was in vain. Troy reached up to wipe her eyes and then pulled her into his arms, tenderly stroking her hair. Gabriella held onto him tightly, wanting him to never let her go. "You're everything to me too, Troy," she whispered in his ear.

Troy smiled into her hair and pulled her even closer. Yes, Gabriella Montez was finally his.


	17. Mother

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! I had some serious writer's block, so I've been working through this chapter very slowly. But I am very pleased with the final result! Hopefully you are too! **

**Also, there's a little bit of French, so I translated it at the end. Hopefully that's not too annoying!**

**Enjoy! **

Chapter 17

Gabriella had never been a fan of relationships.

Her first boyfriend had been Kurt Michaels in the tenth grade. Gabriella remembered with startling clarity the day he asked her out. She had just finished her audition for the fall musical and was walking out of the auditorium to meet Troy for a ride home when a calloused hand pulled her into an empty classroom. Gabriella had turned around only to meet the slate blue eyes of Kurt, her infatuation of the moment. She recalled that he was wearing an orange shirt that clashed horribly with his red hair and when she looked closely at his nervous smile, she could see a large piece of spinach stuck in his braces. That should have been a sign that the relationship was doomed. After two minutes of nervous stuttering later, Gabriella had a brand new copper and metal boyfriend. She had grown bored with him almost immediately and was annoyed with his penchant of leaving ridiculously long messages on her answering machine when he didn't know where she was. The relationship ended four months and three light jogs to second base later.

Gabriella's second boyfriend was during her junior year of high school. After a month of dating, she found him bedazzling a jean jacket in his basement. The end of that relationship is self-explanatory.

While Gabriella was 18 and filming her first movie in Australia, she met her next and last boyfriend on a beach in Sydney. He was a devastatingly handsome surfer name Alex with light green eyes and short blonde hair. Her first glimpse of him had been as he exited the water after a particularly embarrassing wipe out; droplets of water had been cascading down his body, drawing Gabriella's eyes down his defined pecs and washboard abs. Their eyes had met and it was like everything was suddenly moving in slow motion. Gabriella had never felt the type of lust that had surged through her body as soon as their eyes had met and the sensation made her feel incredibly womanly. Three days later, she lost her virginity to him in the trailer she stayed in between filming scenes. The next three months had been a whirlwind of wild sex and very little conversation. The night before Gabriella left Australia, Alex broke up with her, claiming that Chicago was just too far away for sex he could get from anyone else. Gabriella stuck to flings after that.

Until Troy, that is.

Gabriella had witnessed Troy in the few relationships he had during his and Gabriella's friendship. He treated them like a girlfriend should be treated, although most of them would probably disagree. Gabriella always came first in his life and that drove the girls crazy with insecurity. Their jealousy would be the downfall of every relationship he would try to have.

And even though Gabriella would have denied it at the time, she would now be able to admit that she had occasionally fantasized about being one of those girlfriends. Who wouldn't want to be a girlfriend of Troy Bolton? He was sexy, athletic, and kind-hearted among countless other attractive qualities. It would have been unusual if she didn't think about him in a romantic sense occasionally. But a teenage Gabriella attributed the thoughts to her natural curiosity. They were always fleeting thoughts that she pushed out of her mind, but they were present nonetheless.

Gabriella slowly woke from a deep slumber, immediately noticing the ache that seemed to radiate through her entire body. It was a good ache though and a large smile appeared on her face as she remembered the details from the previous night. The second round had been against the shower wall as the water streamed down their bodies, making the skin that was already slick from sweat even more slippery. The sex had been rough and intense, and the orgasms that the two experienced were explosive.

The third round had been lazy as Troy had woken her up from an hour nap, but it still retained the passion that burned between them. The orgasms at the end of that round were not as powerful as the other ones they had with each other in the short time they had been having sex, but they were still fiercer than any orgasm they had experienced with other lovers.

Gabriella stretched languidly, only to notice that the bed was empty. Gabriella flipped over, feeling cold from Troy's missing body that had cradled her all night. She reached her hand to pull his pillow to her face, suddenly feeling the need to inhale his scent, when it came in contact with a piece of paper. She brought it down to eye level and scanned the small sheet, her face breaking into a smile and as she blushed slightly as she read his words.

_Girlfriend-_

_God, you have absolutely no idea how amazing it feels to associate that word with you. _

_Unfortunately, I have a couple scenes today and neither of them is with you. I'm sure I'll already be craving your touch by the time you read this. But that's what you do to me, Brie._

_Leaving you this morning was extremely difficult. The sheet had fallen down, and it took everything I had in me not to wake you up to rub my hands all over that gorgeous body of yours (for the fourth time. I was on fire last night! Seriously, you should be incredibly impressed with my abilities in bed). _

_Meet me for lunch today? If I'm lucky, the break between scenes should be around noon. And then once we're alone, I can do to you what I'm sure I will be thinking about all morning. _

_Call me and let me know if you're coming. I really hope you are._

_Love,_

_Boyfriend_

Gabriella immediately picked up her phone from the nightstand to call Troy to let him know that she would definitely be at lunch. She was aching for him and she had only been awake for five minutes! Troy Bolton had certainly become a delicious obsession.

The phone rang five times before the voicemail picked up and Troy's recorded voice filled her ears. Gabriella felt a rush of moisture to her core at the sound of his deep voice as she thought about five hours earlier when that very voice had been groaning her name, over and over again. _'Oh my God, when did I become a sex addict?' _she thought to herself, _'Oh yeah. When Troy first fucked me on the kitchen counter.' _Gabriella was snapped out of her thoughts by a loud beep and she remembered that she was supposed to be leaving a voicemail.

"Hey, Boyfriend," Gabriella greeted as she giggled into the mouthpiece, "I just woke up to your note and you better believe I'll be there for lunch. Can't wait." Gabriella moved to end the call when she remembered part of the note and added huskily, "Oh and just so you know, I am beyond impressed with your capability in the bedroom. I'm wet right now thinking about that second time in the shower. God, you felt amazing. See you soon." Gabriella finished, knowing very well that the message would leave him wanting her even more. She sighed and picked up her robe, and made her way to the bathroom for a shower when she heard the distinctive ring of her cell phone. A large smile burst on her face, thinking that Troy was calling to complain about her teasing words.

She picked up the phone, not even bothering to check the caller ID. "God, Bolton, you can't even wait two minutes?"

"Is that the proper way to answer a phone, Gabriella?"

Gabriella's eyes widened, stunned at the cold voice that hit her ears. Gabriella hadn't heard the thick accent in over two years, and the sound made her shudder slightly as she anticipated the verbal assault that was to come.

"Bonjour, Maman." Gabriella muttered unenthusiastically into the phone, greeting the woman who had given birth to her and pretty much nothing else. "Ça va?"

"Do not even bother to speak to me in my native language. Your accent has gotten even more atrocious since the last time we spoke. Do you not speak French at all anymore?" Amélie had never been one to beat around the bush.

"Why would I speak French when no one I know understands it?" Gabriella asked, silently thinking that she diligently practiced swearing in the language. That was something, right? Gabriella heard a disgusted sigh over the earpiece and she rolled her eyes. It had been less than one minute and she already longed to hang up the phone. However, she knew from experience that crossing Amélie would only create more problems than anything else.

"Because it is your second language, Gabriella. You, oh how do you say it? Ah oui. You _baffle_ me with your level of immaturity." Amélie said, her voice dripping with disdain. "However, this is not why I have telephoned you. Jacques and I will be in Los Angeles as my business is sending me there for three days to show my new designs. I expect you to attend one dinner with us. I have already made a reservation at Dolce for this Sunday night at six o'clock."

"What if I already have plans for that night? Did you even consider that?" Gabriella was completely exasperated with the woman.

"If you have plans for that night, then you will reschedule. I am your mother, Gabriella, and I expect one dinner from you. This is the end of the conversation. I will see you on Sunday. Au revoir." And with her mother's abrupt farewell, Gabriella violently pressed the end call button on the phone and threw it on the bed as she began to pace the room. How could her own mother treat her like one of her business acquaintances that she only tolerated to keep up appearances? She was her _daughter_ for fuck's sake. Then the rest of her mother's words sunk in. Jacques would be at the dinner. Oh, how Gabriella despised the man. He was another French native who had entered Amélie and Gabriella's lives when Gabriella was seven and they were still living in New York. Even a prepubescent Gabriella could see that Jacques was a smarmy bastard who was only interested in Amélie's money, which she had plenty of from her career as a fashion designer. In fact, even after eighteen years, Gabriella still believed that he was only in the marriage to have his own sugar mommy. Jacques and Amélie "fell in love" just before Amélie's transfer back to France. And of course, Jacques had to follow them there, not even bothering to look for his own place before suggesting he move into Amélie's home. Three months after the move, the two eloped and Gabriella had a new stepfather. To say she wasn't thrilled would be an understatement.

"Okay, Gabriella, breathe. In. Out. In. Out." Gabriella said aloud, continuing to quickly move back and forth across the room. "It's just one night with the woman that spent eighteen hours in labor, squeezing you out of a tiny hole. That was very kind of her… even though she shoved it in your face during every argument. Okay focus. You can do this. It's just one… horrific, degrading, very long, completely pointless evening. Oh fuck it all." Gabriella stomped towards her bathroom, knowing she was regressing to her hormonal teenage years. That's the effect her mother had on her. There was only person who knew how to calm her down after her mother riled her up. She jumped in the shower and quickly worked through her morning routine, longing to feel the calming effect those cerulean eyes had on her.

She needed Troy.

* * *

Gabriella walked through the studio, greeting the familiar faces that she knew after working on the film for a couple of days. She was furious and on edge, but she was careful to not show it. She wanted to make a good impression on the employees that were spread out all over the set. She didn't know every name yet, but Gabriella was the type of actress that appreciated every person who worked on the films she was in. So she made sure to learn every name and spent a great deal of time getting to know as many of them as possible.

As she walked past one of the fifteen stages required for the film, Gabriella noticed a solid red light outside one of the doors, indicating that filming was in process. Troy was in there and she was itching to break through those doors and find her place in his arms. She knew it was incredibly irrational and irresponsible, but it would be so very satisfying. Gabriella fought her urge anyway and continued past the door, only looking back longingly at the barrier one time.

Gabriella managed to make it outside to the back lot and sped up once Troy's trailer was in her eyesight. The fake smile that was plastered on her face was beginning to hurt and the fury that had consumed Gabriella since hanging up the phone was pulsing through her veins. Amélie Montez had made Gabriella's life a living hell for fourteen years and Gabriella would make damn sure she would stand her ground at the dinner. Finally, Gabriella reached the trailer and she climbed up the few steps to enter through the door that read _Bolton_. She immediately kicked off her heels and collapsed on the couch that lined one of the walls. While Gabriella's trailer was decorated to create a relaxing environment where she could decompress, Troy's trailer was decorated to satisfy any man's needs; the focal point of the small space was a large plasma screen television along with every gaming system on the market. The screen took up a large part of one of the longer walls, while a plush, forest green couch lined the wall across from it. Gabriella was sure the trailer would be very popular during the filming of the movie.

As Gabriella lounged on the couch, staring vacantly into space, she slipped into a memory that still made her cringe, even after fifteen years. It was not an unusual memory; in fact, it was a situation that would be repeated frequently during Gabriella's youth. The memory took over and Gabriella unconsciously curled into a ball. She recalled that she had been in a great mood all day. That is, until she met her mother for the ride to dance class.

* * *

_Gabriella leaped down the last few steps of the sweeping staircase, pumped up for her afternoon dance class. She had been practicing her solo all morning and she knew the final result would impress her instructor. Gabriella hummed a tune as she walked further into the foyer until she spotted her mother in the adjacent living room facing away from her, having a heated discussion on the phone. Gabriella translated the French quickly in her head and rolled her eyes as she realized Amélie was having another argument with Jacques about donating to a local charity. Amélie thought it was important to contribute so others would admire her 'generosity,' while Jacques wanted to add an addition on to the garage to fit his new convertible. Gabriella wanted to kick both of them in the shins. _

_"Maman, je suis prêt," Gabriella called, wanting to shut at least one of them up. Amélie waved her hand dismissively and sternly told Jacques they would discuss the problem later. She hung up the phone and turned to meet her daughter in the foyer._

_Amélie appraised her daughter and crinkled her nose in disgust. "That is what you are wearing, Gabriella?" _

'Fuck.' _Gabriella thought. Her mother only spoke in English when she was in the mood to take a few hits at Gabriella's self-esteem. "Maman, I'm dressed for dance class. This is the required outfit. And you know that." Gabriella responded as she looked down at her pink tights and black leotard. She was wearing white sneakers and carried her dance shoes in her right hand. Her mother had never had a problem with Gabriella dressing for class before leaving the house. It was just another sign that Gabriella was in for a rough car ride. _

_"You are required to wear this _in class_. You are not in class right now." Amélie spoke condescendingly, making Gabriella want to shrivel under her cold gaze. "No matter how many times I explain this to you, you will never understand the importance of how one presents herself to others."_

_"I promise I will dress appropriately for the trip to my next dance class. Now can we go? I'm going to be late." Gabriella bounced from her left foot to her right, anxious to get to class on time. Madame Jilleu was very strict when it came to punctuality and Gabriella didn't want to get stuck doing extra drills after class._

_"Fine, let us go to the car." Amélie turned sharply on her heel and opened the front door before stalking along the porch to open the garage. Gabriella let out a long sigh and followed, making sure to lock the door behind her. She jogged to the car and jumped in hoping that her mother would back off. But Gabriella had never been very lucky._

_"If you want to flaunt yourself in a skin tight item of clothing, then you should be eating less and dancing more, Gabriella. I do not know how many times I have to tell you this. When you are on stage, the audience can see every roll and every dimple." Amélie reached over to squeeze some non-existent fat on Gabriella's body. "This is just horrific. I do not know what Claudette has been feeding you, but it is clear I have to set out a menu plan at the start of each week. And when do you think I have time for that, Gabriella? Answer me!"_

_"Claudette is feeding me fine, Maman," Gabriella said through clenched teeth. She was fighting off tears at her mother's words. Was she really that disgusting? Claudette, the family's personal chef, made sure Gabriella's diet was well-balanced, and Gabriella danced at least five hours a day at the very least. Was it even possible to make her mother happy?_

_"Well I do not believe that. Appearance is very important, Gabriella. Do you think my models eat junk food? No, they do not." Amélie said, referring to the stick thin models that ruled her runways. _

_Gabriella stared out the window, ignoring the continuous deluge of insults. The tears that had threatened to fall finally did, and Gabriella wiped at them furiously, determined to not let her mother see her weakness. She suddenly snapped to her senses as she realized the car was pulling to a stop. _

_"I want you to keep in mind everything I have said next time you pick up a pastry. Ask Madame Jilleu if you can enter extra classes. The additional exercise will only help." Amélie was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the car phone. She waved Gabriella out of the car as she answered the phone and Gabriella was all to eager to get the hell out of that car. She ran into the dance academy towards her classroom, only to see that the stretches had already started._

_"Mademoiselle Montez, comment magnifique de vous pour nous rejoindre. Vous restez quinze minutes après la classe. Commencez-vous! Maintenant!" Gabriella was blushing madly as she scrambled to her place in line to enter first position. It was going to be a long class._

* * *

Gabriella was pulled to the present by the slamming of the trailer door. She looked up to meet the brilliant blue eyes of her best friend. _'No. Boyfriend." _Gabriella thought, momentarily forgetting the pain the memory had caused. A brilliant smile immediately lit up her face as she stood to greet the man in front of her. Troy paused in the doorway to take in the woman who had consumed his thoughts all morning. He needed so badly to feel her in his arms. The thought brought him out of his stupor, and he took two large steps into the room and grabbed Gabriella around her waist, pulling her into a bruising kiss. Gabriella immediately submitted and whimpered into his mouth as Troy slipped his tongue past her parted lips. He probed deeply, seemingly sucking the life out of her. Gabriella wrapped her fingers in his hair, pulling him even closer to her as he lowered his hands to squeeze her ass. Gabriella grinded her hips against his growing erection and smirked against his lips when he let out a desperate moan. Troy pulled away from her lips and pressed kisses to both of her eyelids that were still shut tight as she greedily drew breath into her lungs. "God, I missed you," Troy whispered as he dipped his head to her neck to place kisses underneath her ear, breathing in her signature vanilla scent.

Gabriella was in a daze. Why had she been so upset again? Oh right. Troy felt Gabriella's body tense as thoughts of her mother rushed through her mind. He pulled back quickly, his eyes immediately filling with concern. His heart was beating rapidly, both from the mind-blowing kiss the two had just shared along with the realization that something was very wrong. He lifted a hand to twist a strand of hair around his index finger as he searched her eyes. "Brie, what is it?"

"_She_ called today." Gabriella responded, positive that Troy would know who the she was referring too.

"Oh, God. What did she want?" Troy asked, moving his hand that had been playing with her hair to caress her cheek. Gabriella had told Troy about her relationship with her mother four days into their friendship. There was an intrinsic trust that the two shared, and that trust enabled Gabriella to tell Troy everything about her life and vice versa. Troy was shocked that a mother could treat her daughter with such cruelty. He had immediately felt the need to protect her, and he promised himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure Gabriella wasn't hurt.

"I'm meeting her and the asshole for dinner on Sunday. God, she has the worst timing! Everything was so perfect, Troy!" Gabriella threaded her fingers in her hair and pulled at the roots, feeling the anger return full force. "You and I are together and I was just so deliriously happy and we had this night of amazing sex and then she called with all of her, 'Gabriella your French sucks' and … mmph." Gabriella words were caught in her throat as Troy swooped down to catch her lips, effectively distracting her from her rant. Gabriella's body went limp as Troy's tongue massaged hers in a slow, sensual dance. All of the rage left her body as she responded fully to Troy's actions.

Troy reluctantly pulled his head back, disconnecting their lips and Gabriella moaned in response. "Brie, look at me." Gabriella's eyes shot open at his request, feeling herself become wetter at the sound of his husky voice and the fierce determination in his eyes. "We're going to get through this dinner. And we're going to show her that you've become the amazing, talented, kind-hearted, and gorgeous woman that you are despite everything she put you through."

"We?" Gabriella croaked.

"Yes, we. Did you really think I'd leave you alone with that woman?" Troy asked as he rubbed his thumb over Gabriella's flawless cheek, sending her a soft smile that made Gabriella's heart flutter.

"Troy, she's going to tear you apart. I can't put you through that." Gabriella said while shaking her head vehemently.

"Hey, better me than you. I can take it, Brie. And there's no way I'm letting you talk me out of going, so you should just stop trying now." With a smirk, Troy tilted Gabriella's head to meet his as he placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

"But…" Troy only kissed her harder, pushing his tongue into her mouth and Gabriella felt her resolve crumble. "You're really an amazing boyfriend, Boyfriend." Gabriella whispered when they pulled apart to take a breath. Gabriella giggled as Troy rubbed his nose against hers before seizing her lips in another kiss.

"That's funny… my other girlfriend says the same exact thing." Troy said, as leaned away from her lips. Gabriella's mouth dropped open as she playfully slapped his arm. "Oh you're so going to get it now, Montez." Gabriella shrieked and turned around only to realize that there was literally nowhere to go in the small trailer. Troy took the opportunity to pull her back into his chest and lower his hands to her stomach to tickle her mercilessly.

"Troy, stop!' Gabriella yelled through her laughter as she squirmed in his arms, unknowingly rubbing against Troy's groin. Troy groaned and ceased his attack, while pulling her ass harder into his crotch to show her what she was doing to him. Breathless from the tickle attack, Gabriella turned around in his arms, smirking as she gazed into his piercing eyes. She felt the temperature in the room rise as their eyes stayed connected. Troy growled as he grasped onto Gabriella's hair, pulling her roughly into him, his tongue reaching out to tangle with hers. Gabriella felt his desperation and she matched it, shoving her hands under his t-shirt to rub her palms against his hot skin. Suddenly Troy felt his body in free fall as he landed with a thump on the couch behind him. Gabriella smirked deviously and moved to straddle his lap while simultaneously pulling off his shirt. Troy was all to happy to cooperate and lifted his arms over his head before bringing his hands down to rub Gabriella's breasts through her shirt and bra as she threw his article of clothing across the room. Her head tilted back as she arched into him, creating delicious friction where they would soon be joined. Troy used her momentary distraction to rip her shirt over her head and toss it away, while moving one hand to her back to expertly unclasp her black, lacy bra. As soon as her chest was bare, Troy leaned forward to suck a hardened nipple in his mouth, nibbling lightly on the nub. Gabriella cried out and grinded harder onto Troy's erection making him exhale roughly against her breast.

"Need you." Troy mumbled as he moved his attention to her other nipple. Gabriella grabbed his head and attacked his lips, sucking his tongue into her mouth as she lowered her hands to his belt, swiftly removing it from the loops and dropping it behind her. She stood up and quickly pulled Troy's pants and boxers down in one move and then unzipped her skirt, lowering it to reveal matching black hipsters. "You're so fucking sexy," Troy groaned as he brought his hands to her hips to lower the soaked panties to her ankles. Gabriella kicked them off and returned to her previous position, rubbing her slick opening teasingly against his erection. Troy's hips thrust up involuntarily, desperate to enter her warmth. Gabriella grabbed hold of his penis and rose up, positioning him at her entrance before crashing down, taking him in all at once. Both of them cried out at the sensation and began to move frantically, Gabriella clawing desperately at Troy's shoulders, as he placed wet kisses against every inch of skin available to him. Troy felt the characteristic tightening in his balls and reached down to rub Gabriella's clit, wanting them to come together. Gabriella bounced harder, her thighs burning at the exertion she was putting them through. Troy felt her walls tightening around his cock and knew she was close, so he used his free hand to roll one of her nipples between his fingers while continuing to circle her spot with his thumb. That was all Gabriella needed to push her over the edge. Troy felt like he was on fire as Gabriella's walls gripped him tighter, pulling him in deeper with every final thrust. He gave one last push and then he exploded inside of her in long spurts. Gabriella collapsed against his chest, her sweat mingling with his as they gasped for air.

Troy felt Gabriella's lips on the side of his head and he smiled, loving that she didn't mine his sweaty hair and skin. "Well how are you going to explain this to hair and makeup?" Gabriella asked with a giggle.

"I can't just tell them that my girlfriend ravished me in my trailer during the lunch break? That doesn't work for you?" Troy teased as Gabriella gave him another playful slap. "Hey now, if you recall, that's what started this whole thing. I don't think I'm ready for another round."

"Good, cuz I'm hungry. I'm going to freshen up first," Gabriella said as she stood up, stretching languidly as Troy's eyes took in the sight of the goddess in front of him. He felt himself begin to harden again as he watched her bare form move around the room picking up their clothing. Gabriella turned to face him again, rolling her eyes as she watched his glazed expression. "Troy! I thought you couldn't go another round!"

"You're the one who's prancing around naked. Do you have any idea what your body does to me?" Troy asked as Gabriella's face flushed. She had gotten over her body issues that her mother had caused long ago, but she still didn't see what everyone else claimed they saw. _People_'s sexiest woman? Were they serious? Gabriella felt that she was just… Gabriella. But the way Troy was looking at her at that moment made her a believer. "You are so... _so_ beautiful, Gabriella," he whispered, standing up slowly to draw her closer to place a soft kiss on her lips. Gabriella sighed against his mouth as he pulled away. "Come on, put some clothes on or we'll never leave this trailer." He finished with a smirk and his trademark wink.

Gabriella beamed up at the man she had fallen in love with, astonished at the feelings he could invoke in her. "The only way I'll put them on is if you take them off later," Gabriella whispered suggestively.

Troy placed a kiss on Gabriella's temple and murmured, "You can definitely count on that."

**Ca va? How are you?**

**Je suis pret I'm ready**

**Mademoiselle Montez, comment magnifique de vous pour nous rejoindre. Vous restez quinze minutes après la classe. Commencez-vous! Maintenant! Miss Montez, how wonderful for you to join us. You will stay fifteen minutes after class. Begin! Now!**


	18. Oxidants

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the wait! Hopefully the fact that this chapter is more than twice as long as the other ones will make up for it though :-)**

**Thanks times a million to laughxoutxloud and Breakin' Dishes for their input and advice!**

Chapter 18

Troy Bolton never ever thought he would fall in love.

Some might say it was pessimism at its worst, but Troy thought it was realism at its best. Others might even contend that he simply just didn't want to fall in love. And maybe that was true. But what it came down to was that Troy knew his priorities would never be in the right order for a meaningful relationship.

He had learned that the hard way.

He had had very few relationships in the ten years since he had entered the dating world. In high school, his excuse was that he just didn't have enough time. Auditions and practices for the various school plays he almost always starred in were understandably time-consuming, but not too much so that having a relationship was impossible. It was his default justification if anyone asked why he didn't take advantage of the fact that girls were throwing themselves at him left and right. So if Troy did ask a girl out, it really meant something.

But still, it was never enough.

Gabriella would always be Troy's number one priority. Troy had proved that over and over again. But there was one occasion that really stood out from the others. Gabriella had called Troy in tears because she didn't get a part in one of the school plays. She was convinced that it meant she would never be a successful actress and she would be forced to spend the rest of her life in a box on the side of a highway. Troy, without even a second thought, had ditched his then girlfriend at the movie theater to speed off to Gabriella's house. And if he were ever put in that situation again, he would make exactly the same decision. Gabriella was never completely conscious of the fact that Troy repeatedly chose her over other girls. And that was how Troy wanted it. If he had it his way, Gabriella would never know how she impacted his love life.

Take for instance, his relationship with Stephanie Matthews in the tenth grade. Troy really had cared about her. She was absolutely stunning, with long blonde hair and green eyes that seemed to always be glowing. She was a dancer, like Gabriella, even though Troy secretly thought Stephanie would never compare to Gabriella's natural grace. But that's not the point. He really did like her. So for their six-month anniversary, Troy made reservations at one of the classier restaurants in town, and he even bought her a gold necklace with a charm that was an outline of a ballerina. He was excited for the date, and he knew Stephanie was looking forward to it as well.

Unfortunately for all parties involved, Gabriella happened to fracture her ankle one hour before Troy was due to pick Stephanie up for the date. As her aunt was out of town, Gabriella called the only other person she would want by her side at that moment. She was in hysterics on the phone; the pain was unbearable and all she could think about was what would happen if her ankle were irreversibly injured. Gabriella had been at her dance studio, practicing alone; she was determined to get a solo in her dance class' final performance, so she charmed her instructor into giving her a spare set of keys for the weekend. Troy knew that she must be terrified all by herself, so he didn't waste a second before he jumped in his car to race to the studio.

* * *

"_I'm here, Brie, I'm here," Troy called as he ran across the spacious studio to Gabriella's side. She was curled up into a ball on the floor, her body unbelievably rigid as she sobbed, muttering incoherently something that sounded vaguely like Troy's name. He reached her side and brought his hand up to stroke her face, moving her sweaty hair off of her forehead. "Everything's going to be fine, okay? I'm going to take care of you. Now come on, we need to get you to the hospital." Troy said as he gently slipped his powerful arms underneath her shaking body, and swiftly lifted off the ground to cradle her in his arms while making sure to grab her bag that had been next to her head. He closed his eyes briefly to regain the tight control that he had had over his emotions before Gabriella gasped in pain from the movement. It was excruciating to see the most important person in his life suffer. _

"_Troy…" Gabriella moaned quietly, as Troy shifted her in his arms to open the back door to his car. He laid her down gently on the black leather before ripping off his jacket, rolling it into a ball to place it under the calf of her injured leg. He knew that it wasn't the best way to elevate her ankle, but he was desperate to get her to the hospital and onto the most powerful painkillers the hospital had._

"_I know it hurts, Brie. But I'm going to get you there as fast I can," Troy whispered as he placed a soothing kiss on Gabriella's cheek. He slid back out of the car and shut the door, before slipping into the driver's seat. He stayed true to his word, and drove twenty miles per hour over the speed limit, getting her to the hospital as quickly as he could without killing both of them._

_Finally, Troy pulled into the hospital parking lot and luckily; he found a space close to the entrance. He had barely pulled the keys out of the ignition before he jumped out of the car, hastily flinging the back door open to wrap his arms around a whimpering Gabriella. In the year and half that he had known her, he had never seen her so vulnerable. And it scared the shit out of him. _

"_Troy..." Gabriella whispered as she tried to control her breathing. _

"_I know, Brie. But we're here now, and the doctors are going to get you so high that I'm sure I'll have enough blackmail to hold over your head for a loooong ass time." Troy stated, trying to lighten the mood as he carried her through the doors to the emergency room. It worked as Gabriella let out a tiny giggle, making Troy let out a sigh of relief. He really needed to hear that._

_Troy gently placed Gabriella down in the nearest chair and hurried to the front desk, where he was given an inordinate amount of paperwork and told him that the triage nurse would be with them shortly. Troy worked on the forms, frequently glancing at Gabriella to make sure she was okay, until he felt a buzzing in his pocket signaling that he had an incoming call. He quickly glanced at it, seeing Stephanie's name flash across the screen. He didn't hesitate to hit the ignore button and pushed the phone back in his pocket before turning back to the papers in front of him. Even though he knew it was irrational, he couldn't help feeling annoyed that she was calling him while he was with a distraught Gabriella._

_A few minutes after handing in the forms, a stout, middle-aged woman dressed in bright pink nursing scrubs entered the waiting room. "Gabriella Montez?" She called while her eyes scanned the room._

_Troy jumped up quickly and pointed at Gabriella. "She's right here! Gabriella Montez is right here!" Gabriella couldn't help but let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob as she observed her best friend's eagerness. He was probably just as high-strung than she was, and that was saying a lot. _

_The nurse walked across the room, flashing a warm smile at the pair. "Hi, Gabriella, I'm Laura and I'll be your nurse while you're here. Can you tell me what kind of pain you're having?"_

"_It's really sharp, like there's a knife jabbing me," Gabriella answered while Laura kneeled down in front of her and lightly lifted Gabriella's leg to look at the injury. Troy gasped as he saw how swollen it had gotten in the twenty minutes since leaving the studio. His head shot to the side when he heard Gabriella let out a small cry as Laura pressed down on her ankle._

"_It looks like it's more than a sprain, Gabriella. We'll need to take some x-rays, but first we can give you something for the pain. Do you have any allergies we should know about?"_

"_No, nothing." Gabriella uttered through clenched teeth. _

"_Okay, John here is going to get you into this wheelchair to take you to your bed." Gabriella shot a look at Troy, and his heart broke as he saw the tears streaming down her face. He brought up a hand to caress her face, flashing an encouraging smile. His attention was turned to John as he watched the orderly carefully lift her to place her in the chair. He began to push the chair towards the back and Troy stood up to follow before Laura softly placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Mr…?"_

"_Oh, Bolton. Troy. Can I stay with her?" Troy responded, a hopeful look on his face._

"_No I'm sorry, not until she's been x-rayed. I promise I'll let you know as soon she is out," Laura said, nodding her head at him before following John and Gabriella through the doors. Troy let out a harsh sigh and collapsed into his seat. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically, and he knew Gabriella must have been feeling ten times what he was. Seeing her in pain was agonizing and it made him want to break down. But he needed to be strong for his Gabriella. He was interrupted from his thoughts by the same buzzing as before. Troy rolled his eyes and pulled it out, already knowing that it would be Stephanie on the other end._

"_Steph, this just isn't a good time." Troy said as soon as he answered the call._

"_Excuse me, Troy Bolton? Did you just say that? I must be in the twilight zone because by my watch, you should have picked me up over thirty minutes ago! Where the fuck are you?" Stephanie screamed._

_Troy's eyes opened almost comically wide, looking eerily like a cartoon character. He had completely forgotten about their date during all the commotion. "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Steph. It's just… Gabriella…"_

"_Are you kidding me? Of course it's Gabriella. It's fucking always Gabriella! What's wrong this time, huh? She needed help with her lines? Or maybe her cat died? Oh I know. She wants to steal my fucking boyfriend!" Stephanie didn't even bother to control her fury. She was pissed, and she wanted Troy to know that._

_Troy's eyes narrowed and anger began to pump through his veins as he stormed out of the waiting room. He responded as soon as he was out of earshot. "Why the fuck would you even say that? She fell on her ankle, and probably fucking broke it! Of course I would be here for her. Do you have any idea how terrified she is right now? How terrified I am? She's my best friend and she's in pain!"_

"_This isn't just about right now, Troy! How many times have you ditched me for Gabriella? I don't care if she broke her ankle! What it comes down to is that not only did you ditch me, but you didn't even bother to call me! Gabriella fucking Montez will always come first in your life. It makes me sick, Troy." Stephanie finished, disdain lacing her usually soft voice._

_Troy paused. She was already enraged, so he might as well be honest. "You're right, she will always come first. When she has lines to learn, I'll be practicing with her. When her cat dies, I'll be right there beside her. Maybe someday I'll find someone who is just as important as her. But if you can't accept her in my life, then you're not that person." Troy finished, his voice dropping. As angry he was with his girlfriend, well his soon to be ex-girlfriend, he couldn't help the wave of sadness that rushed through him. They had some good times together, and Troy really liked her, but it wouldn't go anywhere if she couldn't understand Gabriella's role in his life. _

"_You're right. I can't accept her. Your relationship with her is unnatural and I'm tired of it."_

_Troy's reply was halted when he heard his name being called from behind him. He flipped around to see Laura smiling gently at him, motioning behind her. Troy nodded his head and spoke into the mouthpiece again. "I have to go, Steph. I just… I'm sorry. I didn't want it to turn out like this. But Gabriella needs me now. I'm sorry," he said again before hanging up the phone and stuffing it back into his pocket. He couldn't help but feel like an asshole. But he didn't have time to think about that. So he took a deep breath, giving himself a moment to compose himself, before turning to follow Laura to Gabriella's room. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Gabriella sitting up in the bed, a drowsy smile on her face. Troy grinned in response, his heartbeat quickening at the stunning sight before him as he momentarily forgot that he had just ended a six-month relationship. _

_All that mattered was that Gabriella was going to be okay. And that was all he needed._

* * *

Troy shifted under the covers. The warm haze of his deep slumber was starting to lift as he slowly returned to consciousness. The first thing he noticed was a comfortable pressure along the front of his body. He reflexively pushed harder into the object, squeezing it tighter in his arms. His eyes shot open as he felt the object move in response, only to find himself staring into a sea of dark chocolate tresses. _'Gabriella,' _Troy thought, a wide grin forming on his face as he finally became fully aware of his surroundings and his girlfriend, who happened to be wrapped snugly in his embrace. He still wasn't accustomed to waking up in Gabriella's bed and he definitely was not accustomed to calling her his girlfriend. He had decided many years before that he was done with relationships. And there he was, jumping head first into one that he could see lasting forever. But that was something he definitely couldn't think about. Not until he knew what Gabriella's feelings were. He let out a quiet moan as the woman who had taken over his entire being shifted again, unconsciously rubbing against his groin. The sensations that shot through him at that one touch were unbelievable. Only Gabriella could turn him while completely unconscious.

Gabriella stirred as she waking, pulled from her sleep by an electric current that was continuously running through her body. Suddenly, her eyes sprang open as she felt warm puffs of air caressing her skin as something hard poked her lower back, only serving to make her insides burn with arousal. It didn't take much to turn her on anymore. Just meeting his eyes could make her want to fall to her knees and beg for release.

She was completely and utterly infatuated with Troy Alexander Bolton.

"Mmm, good morning, boyfriend," Gabriella said, making sure to wriggle her behind against his hardness. Troy groaned, and even though he wouldn't have thought it was possible, he became even harder at the erotic movement. "Would you by any chance need some help with that?"

"God, yes," Troy said through a breathy gasp. Gabriella let out a husky laugh, and Troy smiled against the mocha flesh of her back as he planted soft kisses on every inch available to him. Her breaths became shorter and shallower, prompting him to lift a hand to her breast as he began to circle the nipple with his thumb. He delighted in the way she arched into it, and he became desperate to make her feel exactly what he was feeling: the flashes of heat, the way his nerves seemed to be firing off at the speed of light. The experience was mind-blowing and he didn't want it to ever stop.

Gabriella couldn't take it anymore. She needed to feel his lips on hers more than she needed her next breath. She turned her head to the side as she grabbed Troy's silky hair and harshly pulled him over her shoulder towards her waiting mouth. Troy had no complaints as he brought the hand that had been fondling her breast to her hair, threading his fingers in the strands while continuing to explore the warm caverns of her mouth. After she pulled away reluctantly from Troy's moistened lips, he let out a sound of protest, clearly unhappy with the move. Gabriella smiled as she twisted in his arms and she marveled at how their bodies fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Their mouths were drawn back together like magnets and Gabriella slung her arm around Troy's hard body, reaching down to his ass to roughly pull his groin into hers while swinging a leg over his hip. Troy's eyes rolled into the back of his head as his penis grazed her wetness. All he would have to do is drive forward and he would be in her warmth. He reached down, ready to position himself. _Almost there._

And then the phone rang.

" Please, _please_ don't answer that," Troy groaned. He was fully convinced that his body would burst into flames if he had to wait any longer.

"Wouldn't think of it," Gabriella whispered as her hand stroked his chest, paying special attention to his nipples.

After several more seconds, the ringing finally stopped, and Troy smiled against Gabriella's lips, reaching down to trail his hand along her waist. He continued along the path of her perfect curves, stopping briefly to rest his hand on her hip. All he wanted was to feel her.

And then the phone rang. Again.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Troy let out an exasperated sigh, as he could feel the moment slowly slipping away.

"It could be something important, Troy," Gabriella said looking deep into Troy's sparkling eyes, trying to convey that it was just as difficult for her to stop as it was for him. Troy gave a slight nod of his head, and Gabriella offered a weak smile in return. Flipping around, Gabriella reached for her phone that had been resting on her nightstand and quickly brought it to her ear, not even bothering to check the screen.

"Hello?" Gabriella said into the mouthpiece, still out of breath from the recent activities.

"I knew it! That's why you didn't answer! You were so having sex!"

Gabriella let out a sigh, frustrated with her sister's timing as well as her obvious persistence. "Then why the fuck did you call back, Shar?"

Troy rolled his eyes as he began to soften. There was no mood-killer as effective as Sharpay. Angrily flinging the covers off his sweaty body, he got up to walk around the room to pick up the clothes that littered the floor. Gabriella had definitely not been patient the night before and the winkled garments were all over her bedroom.

Gabriella heard Sharpay chattering, but all she could focus on was Troy's bare body. His skin was glowing from his previous exertions and Gabriella couldn't help but admire him. He was perfectly proportioned in Gabriella's mind. He was tall and lean, and his muscles were well defined. Gabriella couldn't stop herself from trailing her eyes over his form. His biceps were strong without bulging out, a quality that Gabriella did not find attractive. His six-pack was almost not human, like he was sculpted from stone, and his ass… God, his ass. Gabriella had never thought of herself as an ass-woman. But Troy's… well, Troy's ass made her a believer.

"Gabriella, are you listening to me?!" Sharpay yelled, bringing Gabriella back to her senses.

"No, I'm not." Gabriella responded, deciding that her half-sister deserved to be put in her place. She loved Sharpay, but that was hard to remember when the woman interrupted what would have been incredible sex.

"You are impossible!" Sharpay huffed, not at all pleased that she had been ignored. "If you had been listening to me before, you would have heard me ask if Chad and I were still invited for lunch."

"Well, why wouldn't you be? We made plans…" Gabriella trailed off, as she watched Troy walk towards the bathroom. He felt her eyes on his body, so he turned around, walking backwards for a moment while he flashed her a wink and his trademark smile. He turned back around and disappeared into the room, Gabriella longing to join him.

"I don't know, you and Troy have been blowing us off all week." Sharpay said, pulling Gabriella from her sinful thoughts yet again. "And the last thing I want is for my hair to messed up by _wind." _Sharpay finished as if it was the most logical statement in the world.

"I'm sure there's a metaphor in there somewhere, but I have absolutely no idea what it is." Gabriella felt a smile forming on her face as she shook her head, not at all shocked by her sister's words. Sharpay was definitely an…intriguing woman.

"Blow, wind. It makes perfect sense. Anyway, are we still on for today or not?" Sharpay inquired, "You did say you needed something to calm you down before the dinner with Evil Mama tonight."

Gabriella groaned. She had completely forgotten about the dinner. When she woke up, a cloud of lust had immediately surrounded her, effectively wiping all other thoughts from her mind. And on top of that, Gabriella and Troy were planning to tell Chad and Sharpay that they were officially in a relationship. Sharpay was slightly accurate in her assumption that the new couple had been avoiding them during the previous week. While they were very busy with filming, they were not too busy that they couldn't have a meal with their best friends. To be honest, they just weren't ready to confess their new relationship. It was new and unfamiliar territory for them, and they just weren't ready to share it with anyone else. But they had to fess up sometime, and that time had come.

"Yes, we're still on. And I'll definitely need the distraction before tonight. See you at noon?"

"Perfect! Love ya! Muah!" Gabriella heard a click as Sharpay hung up the phone. It was not unusual for Sharpay to not wait for a response before disconnecting.

Oh God. The dinner.

Gabriella couldn't help the quickening of her heartbeat as she thought about what was to come. She had a feeling in her gut that something was wrong. The air seemed to be crackling, like it does right before lightning strikes when the electrons start firing off. Gabriella's breathing sped up as the room became stuffy and her lungs felt like they were going to cave in. The temperature seemed to raise a few degrees as perspiration appeared on Gabriella's forehead and upper lip. All of it was trying to warn her. Something big was going to happen that night.

And Gabriella was helpless to stop it.

* * *

"Okay, you're really starting to make me nervous, Brie. It's just Chad and Sharpay. Really, it's not a big deal." Troy's eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he watched the love of his life pace the vast living room. He knew something was seriously wrong and it had nothing to do with Chad and Sharpay. She could not be that anxious just because they were coming clean to their best friends.

"Troy… do you ever get the feeling like you don't have any control of your life? Like the universe had already planned out every detail, and you can't do anything about it?" Gabriella asked as she stopped in the middle of the room to face her boyfriend. She was freaking out, and she needed some kind of comfort. Preferably in the form of Troy.

"Are you talking about fate?" he asked. Troy had never been a big believer in the idea of a pre-determined destiny. He thought that every situation had limitless choices, and it's the decisions that one makes that influence the path that life takes.

"I guess that's what I mean…I just…" Gabriella started before the chiming of the doorbell cut her off. She needed to put on her game face. It was already a weird situation, telling their best friends that she and Troy were in a relationship. The last thing the group needed was an uneasy Gabriella causing a tangible tension. So she would put her acting skills to use; a bright smile would light up her face as she giggled at Chad's antics, her eyes conveying the happiness that really was lurking behind the unexpected agitation.

"Brie…" Troy said, immediately noticing Gabriella's fake smile. It was subtle, but there was no way it could fool Troy.

Gabriella's head whipped around to look at the front door as the doorbell rang again, and a forceful knocking echoed throughout the foyer. "Troy, I'm okay, I promise," Gabriella lied, as she walked towards her boyfriend to place a reassuring kiss on his lips. "Now let's do this."

Troy watched Gabriella walk to the front door, purposely exaggerating the sway of her hips in an effort to distract Troy from his concern. It worked, and Troy found himself lost in a sea of very dirty thoughts.

And then Sharpay spoke.

"GABS! Why does it take you like thirty minutes to answer the door? You were fucking Troy, weren't you? You guys are like rabbits, I swear." Troy groaned softly as the sound of her voice pierced his ears. If there was one thing that could pull him out of his lustful thoughts, it would be the blonde woman dressed in pink.

"Nice to see you too, sis," Gabriella said as she pulled her sister into a hug, a genuine smile taking over her face. She was secretly relieved for the ever-present distraction that was Sharpay Evans. "Hey Chad," Gabriella said as she turned towards the man with the crazy hair to hug him as well.

"Gabster! You're looking mighty fine today, if I may so myself," Chad said with a mischievous grin. Troy rolled his eyes and finally stepped forward to welcome their guests.

"No, you may not," Troy cut in, smiling as he reached his hand out to do their guy handshake. Gabriella and Sharpay shared a look, saying with their eyes how stupid they thought the tradition was. Troy turned to the blonde once the complicated greeting was finished. "Aren't you going to say something to your husband about that little comment?"

"Oh no. Chad is fully welcome to appreciate other women's bodies. It just makes him hornier and more ferocious when we're alone. Like a tiger in heat," Sharpay said with a sly grin, before pulling her husband in for a passionate kiss.

Gabriella and Troy's faces twisted in matching looks of disgust, and they immediately turned away from the couple. "Promise me, we'll never be like that in front of other people?" Troy asked under his breath, glancing at Gabriella out of the corner of his eye. A large smile took over Troy's face as he heard a sincere giggle erupt from Gabriella's mouth. God, he loved that sound.

"Promise." Gabriella responded, before turning towards the oblivious couple, "Okay, tigers, break it up. I'm starving, and it's lunchtime!" Gabriella said, and at that point, she had thankfully pushed her previous concerns out of her mind.

Sharpay and Chad reluctantly pulled away, and a wet, smacking sound filled the silence. "For rabbits, you really are a couple of prudes. I should be able to kiss my husband anytime I want."

"And I want the past twenty seconds of my life back, but we don't always get what we desire." Troy fired back, "Now let's eat." He heard the Sharpay's signature huff as he turned away to walk into the dining room, where Gabriella had set out a spread of pasta salad, lunchmeat with all of the necessary fixings, and a pitcher of lemonade.

"Look at you, Holly Housewife and Peter Pussy, acting like a married couple!" Chad cried out, shocked at the effort the couple had put into the lunch.

"Chad! What does that even mean?" Gabriella said, blushing at the implication.

"When have you ever invited us a to a lunch that didn't consist of takeout and beer? This is totally a meal that a hitched couple would provide." Sharpay answered for her husband, loving him even more for stating the obvious.

"Okay, you guys are being ridiculous. Just shut up, get your food, and sit down," Troy replied, as he tried to fend off the fantasy of being married to Gabriella. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it. In great detail. They would have two kids, a boy and a girl. The girl would be a spitting image of Gabriella and…

"Rawr!" Sharpay growled…for some reason, pulling Troy from his thoughts. "Looks like we do have at least one tiger in our presence! Come on, Gabs, your turn! Show us what you got!" Sharpay called, prompting Gabriella to take a step back, slightly freaked out by her sister's bizarre sense of humor.

"Yeah okay, I'm just gonna grab some of this pasta," Gabriella said, speaking very slowly like she would to any crazy person, "and a little bit of ham here. Some tomatoes and cheese, some of these strawberries, and then I'm going to sit down right over there." Gabriella pointed to the other side of the table, and glanced at Troy, flashing him a wink as she became entranced at the gleeful smile that showcased his bright white teeth.

"Ugh, you are no fun," Sharpay said, obvious disappointment lacing her voice, "I was just lightening the mood, you doofus. Ooooo blueberries! All the food people on Oprah say that blueberries have antioxidants. And I definitely do not want to have oxidants." Sharpay said, running over to the table as she completely forgot her previous disgruntlement.

"Shar, you are way too beautiful to have any oxidants in that smokin' body of yours." Chad said, eyeing his wife up and down, a predatory gleam in his eyes. Yeah, the tiger metaphor definitely applied.

"Awww, baby! You're so sweet!" Sharpay gushed, kissing him briefly before turning back to the fruit bowl. Gabriella and Troy shared another look, and Gabriella almost melted as she saw the loving look that flashed through his eyes. It was brief, but Gabriella spotted it and it was unmistakable. Could he actually love her back?

Whoa.

* * *

"So she was eyeing me all night, right? And she was obviously just a fan, confusing me with my character. But anyway, after about an hour she comes up to me and is like, 'Oh my God, you're Troy Bolton! This is just totally awesome! …Will you lick my neck while my friend takes a picture?'"

The four friends burst out laughing, and Chad was actually holding his stomach as his chuckles became too much. "You have got to be joking!" Sharpay cried out, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I kid you not. It had to have been one of the most surreal moments of my life. I mean, seriously, who asks that? My eighteen year old self would have been mortified to go up to Tyra Banks and ask her to lick me." Troy replied, shaking with mirth.

"Dude, Tyra Banks was HOT!" Chad said, finally in control of his breathing.

The group had moved to the living room after a scrumptious lunch and they were sharing some of their most mortifying moments, an idea that, of course, Sharpay had come up with.

"Oh yeah, most definitely," Troy said, flashing a smile at Gabriella. Tyra Banks might have been hot, but no one would ever compare to her. Gabriella returned his smirk with a luminous smile of her own. They spoke with their eyes, silently confirming with each other that it was time to tell the married couple about their relationship.

"Oh my God, would you two quit eyefucking the hell out of each other? We're sharing some quality time here!" Sharpay interrupted the moment, positive that the two were communicating silently again. And Sharpay did not like being kept out of the loop.

"Okay, the best way to do this is probably just to come out and say it," Troy said hesitantly as Sharpay and Chad noticeably sat up straighter and edged forward in the seats. They loved some juicy gossip, and it looked like Troy had some.

"Troy and I…" Gabriella started, glancing back at Troy and she couldn't help the shiver that ran up her spine as their eyes met.

"We're dating." Troy finished for his girlfriend, not even bothering to break eye contact to see their friends' reactions. He couldn't tear himself away from her chocolate orbs, once again lost in the wonder that was Gabriella Montez.

"And?"

Gabriella and Troy whipped their heads around to look at the two sitting across from them. "What do you mean, 'and'?" Troy and I are in a relationship. As in an official couple. Like we're together… exclusively," Gabriella continued, shocked by the blank stares she was receiving.

"Seriously, that's it?" Chad asked as him and Sharpay let out loud guffaws. "You two really are a couple of idiots."

Troy and Gabriella's mouths dropped as they watched their friends shake with laughter. "We are not…" Troy began.

"Oh, yes you are, Bolton," Sharpay interrupted, "You're a couple of horses' asses, that's what you are. You two are obviously supposed to be together and I have no idea why you didn't figure this out sooner. I mean, Chad and I have been betting on it for years! Speaking of, I totally won that by the way."

"No way, babe! I was definitely closest," Chad responded, clearly indignant at being declared the loser of the bet.

"Definitely not. I'm one hundred billion percent positive that I called it!"

"Don't you think I'd remember…"

"Seriously, you two need to stop!" Troy called out, interrupting the lovers' quarrel that he knew from experience would only escalate to unbearable levels. "Was it really that obvious?"

Chad and Sharpay immediately stopped their squabble and shared another laugh, evidently amused by the question.

"Yes. Now where's this dessert you promised me?" Chad asked, already bored with the conversation and thinking about the cheesecake that was waiting for him.

Troy turned to Gabriella and nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen, signaling for Gabriella to follow him. As soon as they reached the room, Gabriella turned to Troy with a dazzling smile that stopped him in his tracks. "Well that was easy," Gabriella said, relieved that Chad and Sharpay hadn't made a huge deal out of it. But Troy was too distracted by the glow that was radiating off of Gabriella to respond. So instead of responding, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Gabriella moved to deepen it, but Troy wouldn't let her. He just wanted to feel her. She gave a whimper of protest and Troy smirked against her lips before slipping his tongue into her mouth, lazily tangling it with hers. The kiss ignited something deep inside of Gabriella, and she reached up to thread her fingers through his hair to draw him deeper into her. Troy moaned and pulled her harder against him, loving the way her curves fit perfectly against his body.

"Troy…" Gabriella whispered against his lips as the sound of Chad and Sharpay arguing swept into the kitchen. They couldn't take it any further with the couple in the other room.

"Let's just kick them out," Troy half-joked, leaning in to capture Gabriella's lips in what he really meant to be short kiss. But Gabriella wouldn't let him pull back as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth, gently nibbling before letting it go. Troy grunted and pushed Gabriella backwards into the counter, lifting her up until she was sitting on top of it, her legs straddling his waist. "God, Brie," Troy groaned as his lips left hers to trail kisses along her jaw before dipping down to suck on her pulse point, making Gabriella let out a throaty cry.

"Where the fuck is my dessert?!"

Troy stopped his trail of kisses making a mental note to kick his best friend in the balls the next time they were alone. He sighed into the crook of her neck before pulling back to give her a faint smile. "Why do we hang out with them again?"

"Troy," Gabriella laughed as she gently pushed him away before hopping of the counter and walking to the fridge to pull out the cheesecake. Troy couldn't stop his eyes from following her every move. She made everything look erotic. Hell, even her hands gripping the handle of the door was enough to send him off into la-la land. So he slipped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her front, pulling her back to feel how hard he was. Gabriella's head fell back against his shoulder and Troy took the opportunity to reattach his lips to her neck as he brought his hand up to caress her breast through her blouse and bra.

"If that cheesecake isn't out here in two minutes, I'm coming in to get it!'

Troy pulled away yet again, silently seething at being interrupted again. If Chad knew them so well, then why wouldn't he know that Troy was busy trying to feel up his girlfriend?

Gabriella turned around in Troy's arms and rose on her toes to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. "Come on, the human garbage can needs his food," Gabriella quipped as she turned around to grab the dessert.

"Brie," Troy said as he reached out to grab her arm, moving her back around to face him. Gabriella looked up at him and Troy heard her gasp as she met his gaze. All he could think about was how much he loved her and he was sure that she could see some of that in his eyes. After all, when had he ever been able to hide anything from her? The room was filled with electricity as the two unconsciously inched closer together, not even blinking, terrified to break the moment. Troy just knew at the moment what needed to be done. He opened his mouth, ready to tell her everything he had been longing to tell her for what felt like forever.

"Break it up, withholders of dessert. I told you I would come in here and here I am!"

And just like that, the moment was gone.

Gabriella broke the stare, turning to busy herself with the cheesecake as she tried to process what had just happened. Well, to be fair, nothing had really _happened_, but she knew Troy wanted to say something. And Gabriella knew him better than anyone. It was going to be something big. _'Dammit Chad!' _Gabriella cried out in her mind, frustrating at her friend's horrible timing.

Troy wasn't doing much better as he watched Gabriella harshly slice into the dessert. She was obviously as frustrated as he was. _'Ha. There's no way she's as annoyed as I am. I'm going to kill Chad!' _Troy thought as he turned to look at his 'friend.' Their eyes met and Chad was taken aback at the intensity in Troy's eyes. He was fuming and it made Chad want to curl up in a ball. And he didn't even know what he had done!

"Here, Chad. Happy?" Gabriella forcefully shoved the plate into Chad's hand before stalking off in the other direction.

"Dude, I don't know what happened, but…"

"No you don't know what happened, because nothing happened! Thanks to you!" Troy whispered harshly, conscious of the fact that Gabriella wasn't that far away. "Fuck, Chad. Is it even possible for you to just calm the fuck down and think that maybe, just maybe, the reason why you're not getting your fucking dessert is because the world doesn't revolve around you! I was going to tell her I loved her, you fucking idiot."

Chad stood there, dumbstruck, as he took in everything Troy had to say. He felt like shit. But how was he supposed to know such a monumental moment had been about to happen? "Troy, man, I'm sorry. But seriously, you were going to tell her you loved her in the middle of her kitchen, while me and Sharpay were in the other room?"

Troy dipped his head, staring at the ground as tried to control his heart rate, the anger that had filled his veins rapidly dissipating. He was being ridiculous. And Chad was just being… well, Chad. His friend was completely right. The kitchen? _'God, Troy, can you be any less romantic?' _he thought. Gabriella deserved more than a confession of love in a room that smelled like lemon scented Lysol.

"Yeah, that would have been pretty lame," Troy said, shooting Chad a small smile as a peace offering, "I guess it's a good thing that you walked in when you did."

"Yeah, I mean, you should be thanking me right now. I did you a huge favor. Technically, you owe me," Chad responded, glad that Troy had cooled off.

"Don't push it," Troy said, shaking his head as Chad rolled his eyes and grabbed his food.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm always taken for granted," he said as he walked out of the room, "It's just you and me now, Callie the Cheesecake. All we have is each other. Until I eat you. Which is happening right… now."

Troy chuckled, turning around to lean back against the counter. He instantly sobered as he thought about what would have happened if Chad hadn't interrupted them. What would she have said? Would she have been freaked out? It was highly probable. They had, after all, only been in a relationship for just over five days. Maybe she would have thought that it was too soon.

Or would she have said it back? As the days went on, he started to notice little things that Gabriella did. Like how she would grab his hand when they were eating together or when he was driving, as if she always needed to be touching him in some way. Or how she would hold him so tight after having sex to keep him inside of her for as long as she could. And sometimes he would catch her just staring at him for no reason. Could he dare to hope that she felt the same way? And could his heart handle it if she didn't?

* * *

Gabriella stormed into the living room, where Sharpay was lounging on the sofa. "I know, I know, my husband is obnoxious. But now you see what I deal with on a regular basis! I mean seriously, if I don't feed him five times a day, not including snacks, he actually goes a little crazy. I have no idea how he maintains that gorgeous, sexy, chiseled body of his. I mean it's just…" Sharpay trailed off as she finally noticed how distraught her stepsister was. She sprang to her feet, running over to wrap an arm around her, "Gabs, what is it?"

"I don't even know." Gabriella was honestly confused by the emotions coursing through her veins. Love, anger, lust, disappointment. It was all there. And nothing had even happened! But she had seen the look in Troy's eyes before Chad interrupted. If she didn't know him so well, she would probably be terrified by the sheer passion that emanated from them. But she did know him, and the fire in his eyes only sparked something deep inside of her, a longing that she hadn't known existed until then.

"Did something happen with Troy? What did he do to you? I swear I'll murder him with my stilettos if he did something to hurt you," Sharpay said as she reached a hand down to remove one of her shoes.

Gabriella grabbed her sister's hand and placed it back at her side. "Hold off on the threats, Shar. He didn't do anything to hurt me. It's just… we had this _moment._"

"Oh here we go again. You and your moments," Sharpay said, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, you are such a girl!"

"Ummm, yeah. I'm a girl…"

"I'm not talking about your gender. I'm talking about your state of mind. Sometimes you just need get some balls and stop over-thinking everything!" Sharpay's voice raised an octave as she tried to get through to Gabriella. Seriously, the woman was hopeless without her.

"Sharpay, I'm not over thinking…"

"Yes you are! You're going to drive yourself insane if you insist on analyzing every single moment with Troy. What's meant to happen, will happen. And if Troy insists on being a pussy, then maybe you just need to man up and tell him that you love him first." Sharpay finished with a triumphant grin, pleased with her advice.

"It's not that easy…" Gabriella started before her she heard heavy footsteps approaching the room. Wait, was Chad talking to his cheesecake? Holy crap, Chad was talking to his cheesecake.

"Oh, Callie, you're so delicious. If only we could have had more time together," Chad said as he scooped up the last bite of the creamy treat. A satisfied smile crossed his face as he dropped the empty plate on the coffee table and collapsed next to his wife. He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her neck, whispering something in her ear that Gabriella couldn't hear. But if the feral grin that appeared on Sharpay's face was any indication, it was definitely something sexual. And probably gross, as well.

Gabriella's skin tingled and the hairs on her arms stood on end, indicating that Troy was nearby. Sure enough, she felt the couch dip beside her as Troy sat down as close to her as possible. Turning his face to meet Gabriella's eyes, he reached down to grab her legs to swing them over his lap before circling her waist with his arms. "Hi," he whispered before leaning down to nuzzle her nose before trapping her lips in a slow kiss.

Gabriella pulled away slowly, amazed by how addicted she was to his kisses. Each one was different, and every single one was just as perfect as the one before it. "Hey," Gabriella said and the sweet smile that crossed her face bewitched Troy, mind and body. They continued to just stare into each other's eyes for a few moments, content with just sitting there, wrapped up together.

"Okay, you two are obviously in some kind of pre-mating ritual, so Chad and I are going to head home to do some of that. Only ours will be a lot hotter. And sweatier, probably."

"I'm pretty sure that just a simple, 'thanks for lunch, talk to you later," would have sufficed." Troy said, rolling his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Gabriella could see a fight brewing between her boyfriend and her sister, so she made a quick decision to step in before it turned into another classic Troy and Sharpay verbal duel. "Well, you guys, this really was a fun afternoon. Shar, I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Gabriella said, as the group made their way to the front door.

"Um…duh. I need to hear all about dinner with Evil Mama. I have a feeling it's going to be a good one. Love ya! Tootles!" Chad and Sharpay said their goodbyes and walked out the door, and Troy closed and locked it before turning around to walk back to his girlfriend. But the sight in front of him made him stop dead in his tracks.

Gabriella was standing a few feet away, her entire body rigid like a steel rod as her eyes stared blankly at the door. She had completely forgotten about the dinner in all the excitement of the afternoon. "Brie, what's wrong? "

Gabriella turned her head to meet Troy's eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was worry him, and his concern was evident; the telltale scrunching of the brow, his eyes flickering back and forth as he tried to find some kind of clue just from her expression. But Gabriella's face was a blank slate. She was, after all, an actress. And a damn good one. So she pasted a smile on her face. "Everything's fine. I was thinking about taking a nap before tonight. You know, try to build up some energy." Gabriella turned towards the stairs and took a few steps forward before glancing back over her shoulder. "Are you going to join me or not, boyfriend?" She flashed him a genuine smile this time, already knowing that he would be definitely be coming with her.

Troy knew that she was covering up something, but he also knew from experience not to push her. She would tell him eventually, and that would have to be enough for the moment. So his only answer was a tender smile as he dutifully followed her into her bedroom. They quickly climbed onto the bed, and Gabriella found her place in Troy's arms. He squeezed her tight as he placed a kiss on the top of her head before relaxing his tense muscles. After a few minutes, he had drifted off to sleep and Gabriella was left alone with her troubled thoughts. Only a few more hours and she would be sitting across from her mother. The apprehension she was feeling would no longer be based on just her intuition.

It would be real.


	19. Deceit

**A/N: I'm so sorry! I know it's been forever and a year. I could spout off what's been going on, (and they're what I think are legitimate excuses), but I'd rather you just read the chapter! I worked very hard on this one :-)**

**Thanks to laughxoutxloud for her constant guidance and input, rachrep, and Breakin' Dishes! You guys rock :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

She lied to him. She lied to her best friend. Her boyfriend.

He asked her what was wrong, needing to know why she looked like the ground was cracking underneath her feet. But instead of telling him how when she thought about the dinner, chills ran up her spine and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, she said, "nothing," and leaned in to distract him with a kiss that nearly stopped his heart. He didn't forget his question, but she sidetracked him enough to allow her to lock herself in her bathroom, turning on the water to fool him into thinking she was taking a shower. It was deceitful. There was just no other word for it.

Later, he cradled her face in his palms, and stared deep into her eyes, probing for answers. She understood his silent question, the same one he had voiced just an hour before. But the soft melody of her ringtone had pierced through the silence, and she had an escape from his penetrating gaze. What she didn't see as she turned her back was the dejected look on Troy's face as he stared at her retreating figure that would have surely broken her resolve.

What would she have told him anyway? That she was having some eerie, premonition-like feelings that screamed **DANGER: SHARP TURNS AHEAD**? That she felt in her gut that the night ahead would change everything?

She should have told him that she was completely and utterly terrified. And she was an absolute idiot for keeping that from him.

It wasn't the first time she had kept something from him either. In fact, when it came to Gabriella's relationship with her mother, she confided very little in Troy. But it wasn't always that way. On the contrary, actually. Gabriella had divulged everything to Troy within the first few days of meeting him. Troy had learned the insecurities her mother had created in her, and how she felt that no matter what she did with her life, she would never be the daughter her mother wanted. A fire raged in Troy's eyes after hearing what the beautiful young woman had been through during her short life. He wanted to take every ounce of pain from her… and that was only after three days. The determination to take away all of her suffering only became more intense as the years passed.

But when it came to the torment that her mother caused her, Gabriella was an impervious fortress. Nothing he did could get her to talk.

It had started after her aunt's death. Gabriella hadn't spoken in days, her last words being her final, tearful goodbye to the woman who had been more of a mother than her actual mother. She had been staying in the Bolton's home, locked up in the guest bedroom, and as much as Lucille Bolton tried to coax her to eat, it was all in vain. Gabriella knew that if she tried to eat, her stomach would reject it. During the few times she had allowed Troy into the room, she hadn't said a word as she stared blankly at the pale yellow wall in front of her, praying that the normally cheerful color would make everything okay. On her third day in the Bolton residence, she let Troy pull her into his arms, continuing to focus on the wall as he stroked the hair that had once shined but now fell limply around her face. So on the day her aunt was to be buried, Troy expected her to finally break down and let everything out. He wanted her to scream, he wanted her to cry, he wanted her to do something, _anything_ that would indicate that his Gabriella was going to come back to him. But she had simply stared at the coffin, much like she had stared at the bedroom wall, her eyes glazed over like she wasn't even there. Troy gripped her hand tightly, almost _too_ tightly, trying to bring her to the present… trying to bring her back to life.

And then her mother arrived.

Amélie had been late to the funeral service, striding up the aisle to the front of the church as if she were on one of her fashion runways, before she lowered herself slowly into the front pew beside Gabriella. No exchanges were made with her daughter, not even so much as a sideways glance in her direction. Troy subtly took in the woman's appearance; she was dressed impeccably in a black suit that probably cost more than the coffin and her posture proved that she thought she was far superior than everyone else in the church. But what really repulsed him was that she looked like she didn't eat much more than a single carrot stick per day. Her cheekbones protruded sharply from her face and from what he could see of her legs, the rest of her body wouldn't look any different.

He thought she looked like the crypt keeper.

Troy's attention was diverted back to Gabriella as she flashed him a panicked look, displaying the first emotion he had seen in days. He would have sighed in relief had he not been so terrified about how Amélie's presence would affect his best friend. Based on everything he knew about the French woman, he knew she would probably cause even more damage to Gabriella's already fragile state. But Troy would do everything in his power to prevent that from happening.

Gabriella had fidgeted for the rest of the service as she continued to squeeze Troy's hand as if her life depended on it. Her mother sat stoically next to her, showing as little emotion as Gabriella had expressed during the previous days before the funeral. Troy was one of six pallbearers, but the absolute last thing he wanted to do was leave his best friend alone with her mother. But he had no choice. He hesitantly stepped up to the side of the coffin to grasp the handle, continuing to keep his eyes trained on Gabriella as the procession moved out of the church. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he saw Amélie grab Gabriella's hand to pull her out of the room and out of his sight.

He had failed her. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

He had never found out what had happened between Gabriella and her mother during the agonizing fifteen minutes he been away from her. By the time he found her, she was already closed off, her emotions hidden like they had been all week.

* * *

"_Brie?" Troy said as he cautiously stepped forward to approach his best friend. He had finally found her in the cemetery behind the church, staring vacantly into the horizon that was shimmering in pink, purples and oranges. The sunset was breathtaking, but Troy hardly noticed. All he could focus on was the petite brunette in front of him whose shoulders were hunched, as if she was closing in on herself like a dying flower. Troy finally reached her side and reached out to gently grasp the girl's arm, slowly turning her to face him. Her eyes dropped to the ground as she avoided eye contact, making Troy's heart drop to his stomach in fear. Gabriella had never avoided him, and it scared the shit out of him._

"_Troy… please… I just need to be alone," Gabriella muttered hoarsely, as she spoke for the first time in days. She needed Troy. Desperately. But she couldn't deal with the past few hours, let alone the previous week. Five days before, she had spoken to Isabelle for the last time before the woman slipped into a sleep that she would never wake up from. As soon as Isabelle's eyes had closed, Gabriella had lost her lifeline, the person that had taken her in and given her everything she had always wanted. How could she even begin to come to terms with that? Her reasoning was that if she didn't think or talk about it, then she wouldn't feel the pain that threatened to rip her into tiny pieces at any moment. _

_"Gabriella," Troy stated, the usage of her full name warning her that he meant business. "There's no way I'm going to leave you alone right now."_

_Gabriella took a deep breath, pushing everything that was beginning to bubble to the surface into the back of her mind. When she had regained control, she lifted her gaze to stare into the shockingly blue eyes of her best friend, guilt seeping into her veins as she saw the anxiety that consumed him. But she couldn't talk to him. If she did, she would crumble._

_Troy quietly gasped as he got his first glimpse of Gabriella's eyes. They were vacant, just as they had been during the previous days, but at least then they had held _something_ in their depths if Troy looked closely enough. The eyes he was staring into at that moment held nothing. He had no idea where Gabriella was. And he didn't know if she would ever be back. _

"_Please, Brie. Talk to me." Troy begged as he lifted his hands to hold her face in his palms, "You're my best friend, and I love you. I'm not going anywhere until I know you'll be okay. What did she say to you?"_

_Gabriella sighed as everything her mother had said to her drifted into the forefront of her mind. It would have been nothing out of the ordinary in her old life, before she had moved to Chicago. But Gabriella had gotten used to the loving environment that her aunt had created, where she was praised for her success and accepted for who she was, who she was meant to be. But her aunt was gone, and her mother was left in her wake. Amélie threatened to take Gabriella back to France, but Gabriella quietly answered that she was eighteen and about to graduate from high school. Her mother had no control over her and that was disconcerting to the older woman. Amélie's immediate reaction was to tear into her daughter, making sure to comment on her attire, weight, hair, education, basically anything and everything Gabriella had ever had insecurities about. As she stood there in a back hallway of the church, automatically translating her mother's furious French in her head, Gabriella realized that she was plummeting to rock bottom. And the only way to stop that was to block out everything and everyone. If she made everyone think she was okay, then maybe the torment that was beginning to consume her would just go away._

_She needed to make Troy understand that._

"_Please, Troy. If you love me as much as you say you do, then please… _please_ don't push me." Gabriella pleaded and Troy drank in the passion that began to seep out of her. It was an emotion and he found himself instantly addicted to it. He needed more._

"_Brie, please. Let me in," Troy searched her eyes as he grasped her arms in his hands, bending his knees to bring him down to her eye level. _

_"I can't, Troy. I just… can't," Gabriella beseeched, as she avoided his gaze for the second time. His eyes were her weakness, and she had to stay strong. She couldn't give into his pleas._

_Troy felt like a million knives were stabbing him over and over as he processed what was happening. For the first time in four years, the entire time they had known each other, she didn't want him to help her. She was rejecting him. _

_Gabriella frantically wiped at a tear that threatened to slide down the gentle slope of her cheek, gently pushing Troy's hand away as he reached to do the same. Troy couldn't stand it anymore. He couldn't even look at her, terrified that he would break down in front of her. He turned his back to her and Gabriella's eyes shot up to stare at his solid mass, as she absorbed the pain of dejection that seemed to be radiating off of him. She needed to get through to him._

_"Troy," Gabriella said, desperation laced in the single word, "If I talk to you, if I tell you everything I'm feeling, then it's all real. And I can't, Troy. You have to understand! I do need you. But not like this."_

_Troy slowly turned back around, only to be met with a sight that he could never have even imagined. His best friend looked broken, far more shattered than she had during the funeral. And he was terrified that he had done that to her by pushing relentlessly. She wasn't going to deal with the situation. And while he did not at all agree with what she was doing, he would give his life to make sure she never again looked the way she did at that moment._

_"Okay. I'll stop," Troy said as he tenderly pulled her into his arms, rubbing large circles on her back as he tried to ease the violent shivering that had taken over her body. Gabriella gradually regained control of her mind and pushed all thoughts of the previous five days out of her mind. _

_"Can we get some ice cream?" Gabriella asked, as she glanced up into the cerulean sea that rapidly filled with shock._

_Troy's face lit up with a lazy smile as he glimpsed the little bit of life that had returned to the mocha eyes of his Gabriella. If ice cream was what she wanted, then ice cream is what she would get. Keeping his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders, he directed her to the parking lot to his waiting car, as he inhaled a gulp of the cool, night air. As they walked to the car, he thought about all of the issues they had to work through. But he would be there every step of the way. _

_What he wouldn't have even been able to fathom at the time was that Gabriella would never again speak of the final moments with her aunt and the days that followed. She never dealt with it, and as Troy feared, it would eventually come back to haunt her at the worst time possible. And it would be a million times worse than if she had addressed it earlier. _

_It would break her._

_And Troy was helpless to stop it._

* * *

Troy snapped out of his memory as he heard a deep sigh from the woman next to him. He had been driving for fifteen minutes already, and Gabriella had not stopped fidgeting in the passenger seat since she had lowered herself into the car. Her constant movement was putting him on edge, and he did his best to occupy his mind before he broke and begged her to tell him what was wrong.

Thirty minutes before, he had descended the stairs of Gabriella's home after dressing dapperly in dark, almost black jeans with a black button-down and skinny black tie, his hair still slightly wet from his shower, only to find that the brunette was not waiting for him in the living room like she had said would be. He had a feeling that he knew where she was. She always retreated to the same spot when she was troubled, whether it was the stress of putting out a new album or after reading a particularly horrid tabloid story that had no truth to it whatsoever. Troy didn't know if he should disturb her; she had been off all day and he knew from experience that pushing her would only lead to her closing herself off even more. But they didn't have much time to make it to the heart of Los Angeles, and he knew it was best that they didn't test Amélie's patience.

Troy made his way through the familiar path to the backyard, breathing in deeply as he took in the fresh air as soon as he stepped onto the darkly stained patio behind the house. The yard was astounding, the huge expanse of jade green grass was flawless and a myriad of trees bordered the property, allowing for extra privacy. Very few knew of Gabriella's passion for gardening, and the yard was an insight into the secret hobby; flowers of all types, exotic and common, and of every color were spread strategically throughout, creating a breathtaking vision of beauty. As Troy walked down the winding stone path, he glimpsed the first sight of Gabriella's hideaway. It was a waterfall she had had built over the in-ground pool shortly after moving into the home; for some reason, water had always soothed Gabriella and the cascading water from high above was no exception.

He turned the last corner and his eyes were drawn to the woman before him. She was sitting on one of the rocks that lined the waterfall, her feet dangling in the water as she drew imaginary shapes with her toes. Troy took in her entire appearance, from her little silk black dress with brown trim circling the bodice to the luscious curls that fell down her back. From his position, he could see the thoughtful expression on her face, and he knew whatever she was thinking about was making her severely distressed. His smooth voice broke through the splashing of the water as it hit the pool underneath it, "Brie."

Her body jumped as her eyes shot up, alerted to her boyfriend's presence before her. Troy harshly sucked in air as he recognized the same expression that he had observed all day. It caused another surge of memories to flood his mind, all from the weeks following her aunt's death. He had come to fear the blank gaze in that time, "We should get going, don't you think?"

"Yes, we should," Gabriella whispered reluctantly, obviously dreading what was to come. She slowly pushed herself up to a standing position and slipped on her black pumps before walked towards Troy. She immediately stretched out her hand to lace her fingers with his, and Troy's heart skipped a beat as the gesture warmed his blood. It would have been barely anything to anyone else, but he knew how difficult it was for her to reach out to him when she was so anguished. He squeezed her hand tightly as a loving smile appeared on his face. Gabriella took a deep breath as she tugged lightly, signaling that she was ready to move forward.

Twenty minutes later and Gabriella still hadn't let go of Troy's hand, as she grasped it across the gearshift, nor had the fidgeting ceased. Troy was speechless, which was a rare occurrence around his best friend. It would only be a few more minutes until they reached the restaurant, and he wanted to reassure her somehow that he would do everything in his power to protect her that night. He knew that with the way she was feeling it would be a futile attempt, but he couldn't just sit there like a useless heap of garbage, could he?

"I know that any contact with your mom is difficult, Brie," Troy started as Gabriella immediately stopped wriggling in her seat, suddenly alert. "But it will be over in a few hours, and then we'll have a celebration of our own later tonight," he finished with a wink as he briefly let his gaze wander from the road, trying desperately to lighten the somber mood that had been hanging over Gabriella since Chad and Sharpay had left earlier in the afternoon.

Gabriella smiled softly, grateful for the momentary distraction as a flush of warmth spread throughout her entire body. She could hardly believe that it had only been half a day since she had woken to Troy's erection pressing into her bare back. They hadn't been able to relieve the tension and if she hadn't been so distracted all day, she was positive that they would have continued from where they left off. Troy must have been feeling so frustrated. His sexual appetite was, after all, insatiable.

"Is that a promise, Bolton?" Gabriella said as a devilish smirk graced her features.

Troy's face split into a shit-eating grin as he absorbed her words. "You bet, Montez," he finished as he pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. He had to disconnect his hand from Gabriella's to shift the gear into park and the motion sent a jolt through her body as she realized that they had arrived at the restaurant. She wished she could just disappear into a world that consisted only of the man beside her, a world where the desolation that coursed through her veins didn't exist. But it was just a silly fantasy, and as much as she wanted to curse the heavens and scream until her lungs gave out, she would have to deal with the present.

Gabriella turned to Troy as a new kind of confidence seeped out of her skin, "Well, let's get this over with, shall we?"

Troy sighed in relief and inclined his head in an affirmative response, hoping that the novel attitude would prevail throughout the evening, but a feeling in his gut told him otherwise.

Intuition is a bitch.

* * *

"Ah, Miss Montez and Mr. Bolton, it's great to see you again," Chris, the owner of the restaurant, greeted as he rushed to the lobby as soon as he was notified of the celebrities' appearance. He was a beast of a man, his form towered over almost everyone else by at least six inches and his muscles rivaled Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was definitely not anything like the typical entrepreneur, and that intrigued every customer of the establishment.

"You too, Chris. We're meeting a party of two, under the name Montez. Have they arrived?" Gabriella responded, already knowing the answer. Of course they had arrived. No matter how early Gabriella was for a meeting with her mother, Amélie would always be there before her.

"Ah, yes, I had a feeling she was related to you somehow. You really are a spitting image of her," Chris responded, as Gabriella internally cringed. She didn't want to be compared to her in any way, shape or form. "Although, she obviously has very different mannerisms than you. She's an… interesting woman," he finished as diplomatically as possible.

Troy decided it was his time to cut in before the proprietor made Gabriella even more uncomfortable. "Well, as I'm sure you understand, we really don't want to keep her waiting any longer. Can you show us to our table?"

"Of course, Mr. Bolton. Right this way," Chris said, sensing that whatever he had said was sore subject for the actress. "We were led to believe that it was a party for three, so we'll have to add another place setting."

Gabriella and Troy nodded as they followed the bulky man through the restaurant to a secluded section towards the back. Gabriella was torn between feeling relieved that she was out of the public eye, and being petrified of the freedom for Amélie to say whatever she wanted due to the separation.

As her mother came into view, Gabriella felt the blood rush away from her head, causing her to feel light-headed and dizzy. She knew her face was drained of all color, so she turned away from Troy to keep him from worrying. Where did her burst of confidence disappear to? Why did her entire day have to be such a tumultuous roller coaster of emotions? Thankfully, Amélie and Jacques were facing away from the three who were approaching, which gave Gabriella extra time to compose herself. The last thing she needed was her mother to see any weakness, or she would feed on it like a starving animal on a carcass.

"You are late."

Gabriella and Troy's eyes widened in shock. How the fuck did she do that? Amélie's back was still turned to them and they had not at all signaled their presence, yet she knew they were there. Gabriella had had a lifelong, irrational paranoia that her mother could read her mind, and as far as she was concerned, that was only more proof.

"Mother. How wonderful to see you again," Gabriella responded, as she lied through clenched teeth. She had a feeling that it would be best if she didn't argue that they were fifteen minutes early for their reservation. Chris's gaze shifted from Troy to Gabriella as stood deathly still, afraid to remind anyone of his presence. He turned around, thinking it would be best if he silently excused himself before he started to choke on the tension that had filled the room. The couple didn't acknowledge his exit as they tried to anticipate Amélie's next move.

Then, in a sudden, graceful move, Amélie pushed her seat back so she could turn to face her daughter. Gabriella breathed in sharply as soon as her eyes met the icy, calculating stare of her mother, sending chills throughout her entire body. She knew that their eyes were so similar, yet so different at the same time. Gabriella could guarantee that her chocolate orbs had never displayed such contempt as her mother's were at that moment. "Yes, I'm sure it is. And who is this?" Amélie asked as her gaze turned to Troy, appraising him from head to toe and back up again, clearly enjoying the view. Troy flinched as he took in the hungry expression on his girlfriend's mother's face, feeling like he was in some parallel universe. His girlfriend's hateful mother wanted him? It was enough to make him need to vomit.

"This is Troy, mother. You've met him before. And I know for a fact that you scour the celebrity magazines on a regular basis, so don't pretend like you don't know who he is," Gabriella responded boldly, immediately regretting it as Amélie's lustful stare was replaced by a calm rage, like the sky before a deadly tornado.

"I see," Amélie said, her attention directed fully back to Gabriella, "And what is the nature of your relationship?" Gabriella knew by the tone of her mother's voice that Amélie already knew the answer, and the woman was not at all happy about it.

"We're… together," Gabriella answered cautiously, and upon seeing the woman's skeptical expression, she decided to elaborate, "He's my boyfriend, mother."

"I see," Amélie said for the second time, which vexed Gabriella unexpectedly. She assumed her mother would display the usual contempt when Gabriella got something she wanted. Although Gabriella knew Amélie's hatred was based on jealousy and jealousy alone; Amélie longed to relive her youth, a time when she wasn't tied down by a fruitless marriage. And she absolutely despised the fact that Gabriella's life was exactly how Amélie wished hers would have been if she hadn't made such careless mistakes.

And Gabriella was one of them.

The younger Montez suddenly remembered that Jacques was sitting at the table as well, yet he had not even bothered to stand up to great the newcomers. She peered behind her mother to see her stepfather sitting sideways in his chair, watching the scene unfold with a perverse fascination. "Jacques. Are you enjoying your time in LA?" Gabriella inquired, hoping to divert her mother's attention away from her and Troy.

"It's too hot. I don't know why anyone would choose to live here," Jacques responded shortly with his usual pessimism towards life. Thankfully, Jacques was not a man of words and Gabriella knew that he would merely observe rather than join in any conversations that evening.

Troy inched closer to Gabriella as he sensed his girlfriend's growing frustration, hoping that reminding her of his presence would soothe her. He knew from experience that she would have a hard time withholding any damaging words, and it would only lead to her doing or saying something she would regret. His attempt was successful as Gabriella quickly glanced at him, sending him a sweet smile. The display of affection thankfully went unnoticed, as Amélie had already turned her back to the couple to sit back down.

Troy and Gabriella took the hint and moved to their seats, and as soon as they were settled Troy grabbed her hand under the table, hoping to keep her constantly aware of his presence. Another soft smile graced Gabriella's delicate features in response, and this time, Amélie witnessed the subtle interaction, feeling sick to her stomach as she realized that her ungracious daughter was actually happy.

"Troy, what is it exactly that attracts you to my daughter? Or is it just about the sex?" Amélie asked bluntly, not even bothering to sugar coat the question, as she did not even attempt to disguise her displeasure.

Troy's eyes snapped up to meet the French woman's menacing eyes, his own cobalt ones darkening in anger, an ominous storm brewing in their depths as he absorbed what she had just asked. He felt his forehead crease as his eyes narrowed on Amélie, and inwardly rejoiced when he saw her eyes widen in shock. She was not expecting such a passionate reaction from the man in front of her. And it only served to send a surge of the resentment she felt towards her daughter through her body.

But Troy wasn't going to stand by and put up with her bullshit. "Your daughter is the most amazing woman I have and will ever know, _Ms. Montez_," he began, his voice portraying how much he loathed the woman for mentally wounding the love his life. "You talk down to her like she's absolutely nothing to you, and you revel in the damage you leave in your wake. When I think about what would have happened to her, what she would have been if she didn't have her aunt in her life…" he trailed off, trying to rein in his temper as he prayed to God that his speech had put Amélie in her place and had not made everything worse. "Isabelle was her savior. And you're nothing."

The occupants of the table fell into a stunned silence as they listened to Troy try to control his heavy breathing. Gabriella was torn between wanting to wrap her entire body around her boyfriend to show him how much she loved him for being the first person to stand up to her mother, and wanting to run and hide from the apoplectic tirade that was sure to follow. Jacques was leaning back in his seat, watching the young man speak with such fire that he swore he could feel his skin burning.

And Amélie was... well the last time anyone had spoken to her like that was the day Gabriella's father left her alone with a six-month old Gabriella. The memories that flooded her mind only sent her into a vortex of wrath that she had never experienced. She had never before wanted to harm someone as much as she did at that moment.

"Her savior?" Amélie scoffed as her face twisted into a hideous snarl, "You lived with Isabelle for four years and you know absolutely nothing about her. That woman was a disgrace to our family. She was fourteen when she ran away from our home, did you know that? She moved in with the man who supplied her drugs. And she was fifteen when she became pregnant. But did your '_savior'_ even consider stopping the drugs? Not even for a second."

"That's enough. Come on, we don't need to listen to this shit," Troy demanded as he turned to pull Gabriella out of her chair, But Gabriella wouldn't budge. She knew that continuing to listen to her mother's words would destroy her, but she needed to hear it. It was like watching a car wreck; she wanted so badly to just block it out, but it was like there was a tether binding her to the hateful words. "Brie, we don't have to listen to this," he said as he knelt down to her eye level, and he felt like the entire blissful world they had created in the previous days was crumbling around them. "She's lying, okay? This can't be true," he said desperately, even as doubt hovered over him like a black cloud. It was an outrageous story, but Troy could tell by the fierce look in Amélie's eyes that what she was saying was completely true. His heart was pounding in his chest as he took in everything she was saying; how could the woman who had given her the life she deserved have kept a dark secret like for so long?

"How dare you call me a liar. My sister was trash and she proved that when she gave birth to that child when she had been high during the entire pregnancy. Do you think there is any chance that child could have been born normal? Then like the coward she was, she left that baby to die. How is that for a role model, Gabriella?" Amélie taunted, as she watched her daughter begin to tremble in her seat. Troy tried again to pull Gabriella into his arms, but she was like an anchor in the ocean. She wanted to move, but it was like her blood had turned to sludge causing her heart to stop beating. It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of her lungs as dark spots clouded her vision.

She was in hell.

"Jacques, we are leaving," Amélie demanded, satisfied with her work, as she grabbed her belongings to storm out of the restaurant without so much as a backwards glance at the destruction she had caused.

It would be the last time she saw or spoke to her daughter.

Jacques stood up slowly, and started to turn away to follow his wife before looking back at the couple before him. He made brief eye contact with Troy and his mouth gaped as if he wanted to say something, but instead he snapped his jaw shut as Troy watched compassion fill the Jacques' eyes. Troy could hardly believe that the man who had only added to Gabriella's misery during her childhood actually felt sorry for her. Jacques bobbed his head as a goodbye and pivoted on his heel, preparing himself for the verbal onslaught he was about to receive.

"Come on, Brie. Let's go home," Troy said softly as he turned his attention back to the woman next to him. Gabriella slowly nodded her head and Troy was too numb to feel any relief as she finally stood up. She grabbed her purse and Troy reached for her other hand to lead her out of the restaurant. Neither noticed the other patrons and waiters stare in fascination as they observed the pair make their way through the room as if they were zombies, completely unaware of their surroundings. They had no idea that America's sweethearts would never be the same.

The couple walked slowly as they tried to process everything that had just happened. Gabriella couldn't help but dwell on the fact that her aunt had hidden a huge part of her life from her. The betrayal caused her skin to feel like it was crawling, and all she wanted to do was scratch it until it became raw. Isabelle had to have known that the truth would come out eventually. Amélie was a spiteful woman, and there was no way she would keep it to herself forever. She proved that to be true… and then some. Gabriella didn't know how she would have reacted if her aunt _had_ told her. As she walked she decided that she was too senseless at that moment to form any kind of judgment. When it all sank in, would she be repulsed? Would she hate Isabelle for the wretched things she had done? It was like her brain was paralyzed; she felt nothing. Gabriella could honestly say that she had absolutely no fucking idea how she would feel once it all sank in.

And Troy had no clue as to how he would comfort his girlfriend. He was very aware of how much she adored her aunt and how much she respected the older woman. For her to hear that her aunt had had such a ghastly past must have been agonizing. He snuck a glance at Gabriella and found that he couldn't classify her expression. She looked almost peaceful, but that couldn't be right… could it?

As soon as they reached open air, Troy pulled Gabriella off to the side where he assumed they were hidden by the surrounding trees. She finally looked up to meet her boyfriend's eyes and what she saw an overwhelming amount of love and devotion. "Tonight was…. awful. And I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now. I loved her too, Brie. She was like a second mother to me. But we will get through this," Troy said firmly with all the confidence he could muster.

"We?" Gabriella responded, her voice weak from all the emotion that had wreaked havoc on her all day.

"Yes. We," Troy began, as he took in the sight before him. She looked like she had lost everything, her entire world. He wanted, no he _needed,_ to give her hope. It was time. He took in a gulp of air deep into his lungs before speaking the most important words he would ever voice in his life. "I love you, Brie. I'm _in love_ with you. I will always and forever be a constant in your life. So, yes, WE will get through this."

Gabriella exhaled sharply as everything he said reverberated through her. He loved her. He LOVED her. And even though she knew that what was to come would be anything but easy, she felt a wave of tranquility flow through her body.

He loved her.

Gabriella brought her unoccupied hand up to thread her fingers through his hair, applying gentle pressure as she stood on her toes to brush her lips against his in the softest of kisses. "I love you too, Troy," she whispered before reconnecting their lips. Troy continued to whisper, _I love you, _against her lips each time they paused to take a breath. Electricity fired through their nerves as Gabriella began to apply more pressure, easing her tongue between his lips to tangle with his. Troy gladly accepted the invasion as the two continued to embrace, their bodies intertwining as if they were one being. Troy was the first to come back to his senses, as he realized that they needed to get to a much more private place. Without exchanging any words, Troy placed one last lingering kiss on her lips before he grabbed her hand to pull her to the car. That night they would take away each other's pain in the most intimate way possible, even if only for a moment. They would deal with the wreckage in the morning.

What they didn't see as they emerged from the hidden path was the man crouched behind a bush, clutching a thin, silver camera to his chest.

He would be a millionaire by morning.


	20. Author's Note

Author's Note

There are two things I must point out immediately. One, I am an awful person for posting an author's note as a chapter possibly tricking anyone, but it needed to be done. And two, I am even more awful for not posting a new chapter in several months. I have been ill and writing has just not been an option in a very long time. But I promise, there is no way I am abandoning this story. I absolutely love writing it and exploring the relationships that I love so much. So if you can bear with me just a little bit longer, there _will _be a new chapter of _Living The Dream_.

Love and well wishes to you all.


	21. Aftermath

**Wow, your response to my author's note was just incredible. Everyone has been so kind and understanding, and I am so thankful! I hope this is worth the looooooong (understatement of the year) wait! **

**Thanks times a billion to laughxoutxloud for sticking with me this whole time and for all your guidance. And rachrep! You're amazing, girlie! I don't know what I would do without you two :-)**

**The story is up and rolling again, so enjoy!**

**Chapter 20**

A picture is worth a thousand words.

But if you could trade in those words for a small fortune, you would…wouldn't you?

* * *

_The room glowed brightly as golden streams of sunlight poured in from the large bay windows lining the wall as the sheer white curtains flapped in the breeze, creating what Gabriella considered to be heaven on Earth. The young woman stretched languidly underneath the crumpled, teal sheets, as she adjusted to her surroundings, her brand new room. Suddenly, Gabriella stiffened, her legs caught in a bent position and her arms flung over her head when she caught a glimpse of the sole picture frame in the room. It was taken when she was only days old, and she couldn't help but smile as she gazed upon her tiny form that was nestled lovingly in her aunt's arms. Gabriella had done very little unpacking the night before, but she had made sure to dig through all of her haphazardly packed boxes to find the plain, pink frame and set it up on her bedside table. It was her favorite possession, and she treasured it deeply. _

_Suddenly Gabriella shot upright in her cushy mounds of heaven as the sound and smell of crackling bacon drifted into the bedroom. The young girl was famished, as evidenced by the hungry growling of her stomach, and her face lit up when she considered the delicious breakfast her aunt was making waiting for her downstairs. It was so unfamiliar to her, a loved one taking the time to cook a meal for her. But as she would discover during the following weeks, a home-cooked meal was only one of many novel experiences she would have with her aunt in Chicago. Isabelle proved that she deeply cared for Gabriella, and she wanted to treat her as she should be treated. The younger Montez deserved what her mother had failed to give her. _

_A loving family._

_Gabriella finished stretching her limbs and sat up, an ecstatic smile stretched across her delicate face. She couldn't wait to start her new life, and what better way to begin than a hot breakfast with the woman who had taken her in? _

_She jumped out of bed and inhaled a huge gulp of air to fill her lungs, a grin still plastered across her face as she left her room and skipped down the stairs to the kitchen. The sight of Isabelle flipping pancakes on a steaming griddle greeted her and the scent was intoxicating. Gabriella couldn't even remember the last time she had had a satisfying breakfast._

"_Auntie, this smells amazing! Did you do this for me?" Gabriella asked, her voice clearly displaying the amazement she was feeling._

"_Oh no, this is just for me. I was in the mood for pancakes," Isabelle responded jovially in a teasing tone. After seeing her niece's face fall into a sorrowful expression, she added, "Gabi, I'm just kidding! Of course this is for you!"_

_Gabriella instantly cheered up as she skipped to the bright mosaic table made for two that sat in the kitchen corner. "Well, I knew that," she lied easily as her aunt set a plate in front of her, knowing that her aunt saw right through her._

"_Of course you did," Isabella said, adding a sly wink, "So what would you like to do today? I have to go to work for a few hours, but we can do something after. Maybe see some of the city?"_

"_That sounds perfect," the teenager responded through a mouthful of the fluffy round cake. After swallowing her food, she added, "Ooo, can we do some shopping?" Gabriella had never lived a normal teenage life. Her mother had a personal shopper in France that took care of Gabriella's wardrobe, keeping it up to date with the latest fashions, usually in a slimming, and unnecessary midnight black. So shopping for fun was not something she was familiar with._

"_Well, of course! This is your first day in Chicago, after all. It wouldn't be complete without a little retail therapy." Isabelle perched on the edge of the center island counter as she watched the young girl stuff a strip of bacon into her mouth. "So you and Troy seemed to hit it off yesterday… well after that initial awkwardness. He's a cutie, that one," she said as an impish smile crossed her face._

_Gabriella face heated up to an almost intolerable level as she blushed, her thoughts returning to the boy who was impossible to get out of her head. It had to be a crime to be that gorgeous. Weren't fourteen-year-old boys supposed to be all pimply and awkward? Troy Bolton was certainly neither of those things. His skin was so smooth and clear, and all Gabriella wanted to do was run her fingers over it, savoring the feeling of him under her skin… _

"_Gabriella, you still there?" Isabelle teased with a knowing smirk. Her niece was smitten with the boy next door._

"_Oh yeah…um, yeah he's cute, I guess," Gabriella responded as she tried to keep her cool. Oh who was she kidding? "Okay, he's a magnificent specimen of the male species. Happy?"_

"_Very. Maybe you should see what he's up to today while I'm at work…" Isabelle suggested. She loved to play matchmaker and for a young teenager, Troy was as good as it got. And the fact that the two adolescent thespians had so much in common was just the icing on the cake._

"_Auntie, I just don't want to deal with the whole guy thing right now. Yeah he's absolutely perfect from what I've seen, but I need to focus on school right now. I'm just starting on Monday and the first audition is that afternoon! I can't afford to be distracted." She finished adamantly._

"_You have such a great head on your shoulders, Gabriella." Isabelle said fondly, her expression turning somber as she slipped into memories from her past. "When I was your age…I made many mistakes. And I just know that you'll never go down the same path I did. You're such an amazing young woman." Moisture collected in the corners of her eyes as she thought for the hundredth time of whether her child would have turned out like her niece. But she couldn't let her thoughts go there. If she dwelled on what could have been if she hadn't made such horrific errors, then she would fall apart. And she had Gabriella now, someone who depended on her. She had to be strong._

_Gabriella's face scrunched in confusion as she absorbed her aunt's words. What kind of mistakes had her role model made? "Auntie, what are you talking about?"_

_Isabelle mouth curved downwards as her mind began to formulate an escape from the conversation. Even if she had to lie, Gabriella could never find out about her past. As she reluctantly opened her mouth to respond, the doorbell rang, saving her from having to mislead her niece. But she wouldn't be as lucky in the last four years of her life. She would deceive Gabriella over and over again, and it absolutely destroyed Isabelle to have to do so._

_Gabriella was easily distracted, and after one last glance at her aunt she ran to the front door to peep through the hole, a luminous smile overpowering her face as she got her first view of Troy for the day. Was it crazy for her to have missed him when she had just met him the day before?_

_Yes, it was absolutely fucking insane. _

_But the strange part was that it felt so completely natural. _

_Gabriella eagerly flung open the door and she just barely stopped herself from drooling as she took in the boy's entire appearance. Her eyes were drawn to his shoes that were in pristine condition, as if he'd never worn them before, and a little part of her hoped that he was trying to impress her. But that was silly right? Her gaze continued to travel up his body, and to her embarrassment, her eyes lingered for a second on his crotch. Only for a second. After all, her hormones wouldn't kick into full gear for another year or so. But Troy was in impeccable shape for a fourteen year old, obvious from the way his periwinkle polo shirt clung to his upper body. And then his eyes. God, his eyes! Gabriella could feel her organs liquidating in a pool of heat as she stared into their depths. Wait, why was his mouth opening and closing like that?_

_Oh fuck, he was talking to her!_

_"I'm sorry, what?" Gabriella asked, mentally kicking herself for acting like such an idiot._

_Troy felt a surge of confidence surge through his body as he realized that the breathtakingly beautiful brunette in front of him was checking him out. God, he was a lucky bastard. "I was just asking how your first night in Chicago was…" he responded, a slight smirk displayed on his chiseled face._

_"Oh! Yeah, it was um…good," Gabriella responded, trying desperately to recover from her slip-up. _

_Troy felt the nervousness he was feeling before when he was preparing himself to ring the doorbell seep back into his bones. "I was just wondering…well, I know your aunt works on Saturday mornings, and well…I figured since you're new here…well, obviously you know that…but um, anyway…would you like to maybe check out the neighborhood?" he finished as he took in a large gulp of air. For fuck's sake, could he have been anymore pathetic?_

_"Yes!" Gabriella exclaimed eagerly, and then cleared her throat, "I mean, yes, that sounds really great," she finished with a sincere smile. Yes, he was unbelievably attractive, but what really mattered was that she had a new friend. All thoughts of what her aunt had mentioned flew out of her head as she looked ahead to the bright future that loomed before her. _

_Yes, life in Chicago was going to be absolutely incredible._

_If only it would stay that way forever._

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Troy hissed as quietly as possibly, doing his best not to wake his slumbering girlfriend, as he tiptoed out of her bedroom.

"It's bad, dude. I'm not going to lie." Chad said, mirroring his best friend's despairing tone. "You know I hate that Shar reads these stupid things, but here it is, a full fucking front page."

"This is the last fucking thing we need right now. It took her hours to fall asleep last night after we…well, you know. The dinner with her mother was as awful as it could have possibly been. I don't know if she's strong enough to deal with this." Troy finished in a distressed whisper as he slowly slid to the ground when he reached the front door, resting his head in his hands. He couldn't believe all of this was happening at one time when things had been so utterly perfect. He remembered all too clearly how Gabriella reacted when faced with such agonizing twists. "Listen, I'm going to run out and grab one of these pieces of shit magazines, and I'll talk to you later. Please, do not let Shar call Gabriella until I figure out what to do, alright?"

"Okay man. Good luck." Troy heard Chad respond as he ended the call, running to the garage to start his car. There was a little- known newsstand about ten minutes from Gabriella's house, and if he drove over the speed limit, he could make it there in seven. As he backed out of the driveway, his mind immediately began to run through his options. He could keep the news from her for as long as possible and hope to God that no one spilled the beans. But then there was the possibility that she would be furious with him for hiding something from her. Or he could tell her immediately and risk the meltdown that would inevitable follow. Or he could whisk her away from Los Angeles and hope that the change in location would help her to overcome all of the shit the world had thrown at her.

Option number three, it is.

Troy felt his hand shifting the gear into park before he even realized he had arrived at his destination. With a deep breath in, he slipped on his baseball cap and dark sunglasses, praying to God that he wouldn't get caught.

After a brisk walk to the newsstand, his eyes quickly scanned his options before they stopped abruptly on the picture that could quite possibly ruin everything he had worked for.

There, in a full color, eight and a half by eleven print, was Gabriella and himself, kissing as if it were their last seconds on Earth, just moments after they had confessed their love. Bile began to rise in the back of his scratchy throat as he began to realize the full implication of the photograph. He reached his trembling fingers forward to grab the disgusting tabloid, only to realize that the shelf was full of five other magazines, all showcasing the same picture with different headlines. As calmly as he could manage, he swiped every issue of the filth off of the shelf and brought it to the register. The man standing behind it did a double take as he realized exactly what was happening. "All of these, sir?"

"Yes, every single one," Troy managed to squeeze out between clenched teeth, aware that the old, wrinkled man knew exactly who he was. All he could focus on was keeping the vomit down as he averted his eyes from the magazines in front of him. But the picture seemed to be speaking to him, calling his eyes forward. The ancient man read off the total and Troy slammed a giant wad of cash down beside the register, telling him to keep the change. Troy grabbed the enormous pile and practically sprinted to his car, tossing the stack into the passenger seat before throwing the vehicle into reverse. Soon he was speeding along the highway, but he couldn't fight the vomit any longer as he swiftly pulled to the side of the road. He quickly threw his door open and heaved all of the contents of his stomach onto the street. Once he was done, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and reached into the glove compartment for a stick of gum to tide him over and rid his mouth of the taste of bile until he could brush his teeth. As he pulled back into traffic, all he could think about was the vacant look in Gabriella's eyes after they had made love the night before. Sure, she was completely present during the act, and it was as electrifying as ever, but as soon their heartbeats had settled and the sweat began to dry, Gabriella's mind immediately returned to her aunt's deceit. Troy had simply stroked her hair in silence for hours until she was able to fall asleep, but Troy was not so lucky. He had to think of a way to prevent her from turning into 'Impassive Gabriella.'

And now, to add to her bitch mother and deceitful aunt, Gabriella had to deal with the entire world being privy to such an intimate moment in her life.

Troy pulled into the driveway and was startled out of his misery by the vibration of his cell phone in his pocket. Pulling the phone out, he flipped it open without checking the caller ID. "'Lo?"

"Troy Alexander Bolton! Why, pray tell, am I finding out about my son's relationship with the woman we love as if she were our own not from the before mentioned son, but from breaking E! News?!" Troy cringed as he absorbed the shrill pierce of his mother's best scream.

"Mom, this isn't exactly the best time. As you can imagine, we have something of a mess on our hands and…" Troy began before he was cut off abruptly.

"Not the best time? Troy, I am your mother and I had to find this out along with the rest of the world? This is unacceptable!" Lucille Bolton continued to scold as Troy cradled the phone in his shoulder and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

"I swear we would have told you when the time was right, but this is still really new and we weren't really planning on getting caught this early in our relationship." Troy explained, hoping to calm his mother down even just a decibel.

"So there is a relationship?" Lucille asked, hopefully.

"God, yes, Mom. This is Gabriella we're talking about. I…well, I'm in love with her, Mom." Troy finished, and he couldn't help the stunning smile that graced his features at the thought of the love of his life.

"Oh, Troy," his mother began through tears of exhilaration, "I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you two. This is everything I've hoped for and more, you have no idea. Oh please, both of you have to come to Chicago sometime soon!"

Troy stopped all of his movements as he considered that option. He wanted to get her out of LA, and what better way then to the comforts of their second home? It was absolutely perfect.

"You know what, Mom, that is a great idea. How about tonight?" Troy asked knowingly, his hope growing by the second. Maybe his Gabriella _would_ be all right, after all.

"Tonight?! Honey, you have no idea how happy you've made your dear old mother. I'll set up your _separate _bedrooms right away. Yes, separate, Troy Alexander. I don't care how old you two are, there will be no funny business. I mean it!"

Yes, Mom," Troy said, a mischievous smile lighting up his face as thought about all the sneaking around they would have to do.

"Oh I don't even know why I bother. Whatever you do, don't let your father catch you, or you'll never hear the end of it." Lucille said. "Now give me a call when you know what time your flight will be in at O'Hare. Oh my goodness I can't believe I'm going to see my baby boy tonight! I have so much to do!"

"Mom, don't go overboard. And I still have to make sure it's okay with Brie, but I have a feeling it will be," Troy warned.

"Whatever you say, darling. Now I must run to the supermarket. Call me with the details!" Lucille's excited voice trailed off as she pulled the phone away from her ear, and Troy ended the call, hoping that Chicago would be the fix to all of their problems.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was that she was very cold. After that, it was how soft her pillow had become overnight. And then it was the ache in her thighs. Her only conclusion was that Troy had been in her bed, and now he was gone.

Lifting her heavy head, she looked around the room in search of her boyfriend, only to find that he wasn't there, nor had he left a note like usual. A frown marred her delicate features as the pain of his absence began to set in. But something else was wrong. It was there, lingering on the precipice of her mind.

Premonitions. Dinner. Lies.

Oh yeah.

So what does one do in her situation? Break down completely? Block everything out and pretend that nothing ever happened? That her aunt hadn't died and left her to her mother's mercy? She had no answers.

A rush of running water from her adjoined bathroom brought Gabriella back to the present as she recognized the sound of Troy brushing his teeth. Suddenly the water stopped and seconds later the door was cracked open as Troy peeked his head out, doing his best not to wake his sleeping beauty.

"I'm awake," Gabriella said in a flat tone, making Troy's washboard stomach drop to his feet. He detested that sound.

"Good, because I very much need someone to warm up these lips of mine. They were getting a bit chilly," Troy said with a gentle smirk, hoping that he could bring back a hint of that breathtaking smile that he cherished.

"Well then bring them over here and let me do my job," she responded, needing desperately to feel the comfort only the statuesque man in front of her could bring.

A full, sparkling grin lit up the room as Troy slipped beneath the covers and leaned in to place his soft lips against hers. Their nerves shot off at the speed of light and their bodies tingled at every spot they were joined. Troy carefully deepened the kiss, sensually licking her bottom lip as she opened her mouth to eagerly accept him. Every kiss between them was like the first, and this one was no different. But Troy knew that he was treading dangerous waters, and every step he made had to be extremely cautious.

Gabriella whimpered as Troy pulled away, only to feel her heart skip a beat and pound against her rib cage when he whispered his next words against her lips. "I love you, Brie. So fucking much."

"God, I love you too, Troy," Gabriella said with a sweet smile as she caressed his baby smooth cheek, gazing into her very own bright blue oceans. Her smile faltered though as she saw that he was holding something back. Something big. "What is it? What's wrong?" she whispered urgently.

"Brie, I want you to know that whatever happens, I'm not going anywhere, okay? We're in this together until the end, no matter what," Troy said as he tried to convey the sincerity in his words. He searched Gabriella's eyes, looking for any hint that she believed him, and after finding what he wanted he slid from the comfortable bed to pick up one of the magazines he had left outside the door. He walked slowly, as if he was walking to his own death, and took a deep breath before he returned to his spot cradling the brunette and placed the rag before her eyes. His eyes slammed shut as he heard her quick intake of breath. "I'm so, so sorry, Gabriella."

For sixty excruciating seconds, the air quivered with unspoken words. Gabriella's expression was carefully blank as she tried to process the life-changing photo in front of her. It wasn't so much painful that everyone knew their secret. No, that she could deal with. What her mind couldn't grasp was that someone had witnessed such a private moment between her and Troy. The whispered words and sweet kisses that she had waited so long for were now gossip for the entire world. Every minute detail of the picture would be analyzed, and it would never be the same.

"I know what you're thinking, Brie, and you're wrong." Troy whispered urgently. "It doesn't matter how many people have seen this, it's still our moment. The moment I finally found my balls and told you everything I've wanted to tell you for… fuck I don't know how long anymore. And best of all? It's the moment you told me you love me too. And nothing, I mean _absolutely fucking nothing_ can take that away from us."

"Oh, Troy," Gabriella gasped as she gripped her boyfriend's face in her palms to bring him to her lips in an earnest kiss. Troy sighed as he tasted her salty tears on his tongue; he hadn't noticed their presence in the heat of the moment and he longed to make them disappear completely. So ever so slowly, he pressed the tip of his tongue into the hot recesses of his lover's mouth until she opened wide to allow him complete access, Gabriella pulling him on top of her so that he was nestled between her legs, their pelvises connecting in a rush of tingling energy. Gabriella whimpered as Troy gently broke the kiss with a small smacking sound, causing a large grin to form on his face as he transferred his lips to her neck to suck on her tender pulse point. A loud moan reverberated throughout the room and it took Gabriella a moment to realize that it was _her_ throat the sound came from. "Troy, please don't make me beg," she groaned, frustrated at how quickly Troy could wind her so fucking tight.

Troy lifted his head to stare heatedly into her eyes, doing his best to convey just how much she affected him without words. Gabriella held her breath as he stared back, afraid that even the slightest movement would ruin the moment. But Troy couldn't stand it any longer and leaned in to place a delicate kiss on the lips of the love of his life, never once breaking their connected stare. He let out a decidedly non-masculine whimper when Gabriella reached down to grip him in her palm, giving him a gentle squeeze through his boxers, signaling that she was more than ready for the main event.

Troy took the hint and hurriedly stripped himself of his t-shirt and boxers, intently watching his girlfriend as she whipped off his t-shirt that she had worn to bed, baring her bronzed body to his hungry eyes. "God, I want you," Troy whispered fervently as he leaned down to take a nipple in his mouth, causing Gabriella to cry out in ecstasy. Again, she took his heavy length in her fist to position him at her entrance, rubbing him up and down her slit to get him ready for her. Troy lost his focus the moment he felt her warmth, his head dropping down to rest on her breast for a second before he regained his senses and leaned up to capture her lips in an earth shattering kiss that Gabriella could have sworn reached her very soul. Then, with one smooth, long thrust, Troy was completely seated in the heat of his girlfriend as she clenched him tightly in place.

"Give…me…fuck…give me a…second," Troy breathed as he rested his lips on Gabriella's shoulder as he regained control so he wouldn't lose it right away. But she tasted like sweat and candy and woman all at once and he couldn't help pulling out and driving back into her hard. So he cautiously built up a rhythm that had them both gasping for air until Gabriella was digging her nails into his back so hard he knew there would be marks there for several days. But it felt so fucking good. Finally, he felt the telltale signs that Gabriella's orgasm was approaching fast… her walls started to clench him _hard_, her mouth dropped open into a silent scream, and her legs that were wrapped around his waist only gripped him tighter. So they both let go together.

And it was bliss.

The room was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and the smells of sweat and sex as the two lovers returned to earth. Troy realized that he must have been crushing his girlfriend, so he rolled off of her, and brought her back into his arms so she was cradled against his chest. Suddenly he remembered the newspapers and his conversation with his mother and then he not so tactfully blurted out, "Let's go to Chicago, Brie."

"What?" Gabriella asked, completely shocked, as she lifted her head to stare into the deep blue eyes of her sated boyfriend.

"Before you say anything else, just hear me out, okay?" Troy asked and continued after he received a nod of her small head. "I just think we need to get the hell out of LA. Too much has happened here in the past twenty-four hours, and my parents really want to see us, and Chicago is beautiful this time of year, and no one knows where my parents live, and…"

"Troy, let's go," Gabriella stated confidently, cutting off what would surely be a very long ramble.

"Wait…seriously? I don't have to convince you?" Troy asked with a gentle smirk on his chiseled face.

"No, I think it's a great idea. You're totally right that we need to get out of this town for a while. And of course I want to see your parents, Troy," Gabriella finished with a distant smile, still distracted by everything that had changed in the last day.

"Mmmm…I love you," he whispered against her lips, "and I will take care of everything. Plane tickets. Getting time off from the movie. I know the producers will understand, given everything that's going on. And I'll talk to your assistant and get her to reschedule any interviews and events…"

"Troy, I'm not an invalid. I can help out, you know," Gabriella said with a touch of irritation marring her usually honey sweet voice.

"Just let me do this for you, okay?" Troy asked with a convincing pout.

"Fine, but…" Gabriella began but was interrupted by the buzzing of Troy's cell phone on the bedside table. Troy eyebrows screwed up in annoyance as he checked the sleek iPhone, seeing a text message from Chad.

_I'm so sry. Tried to stop her. U know what she's like. Told her about Chicago. She's bringing wardrobe. Warn Gabi._

"Oh, shit," Troy grumbled as he scrubbed his hands over his face, regretting calling his best friend to tell him about Chicago and already feeling the tension only one specific blonde could cause.

Then as if on cue, Gabriella's matching phone rang on her side of the bed, and Gabriella cautiously picked it up as she gauged her boyfriend's distressed expression. "Hel…"

"Gabriella, don't worry, I'm on my way with everything you need from Ben and Jerry to a cheery pink wardrobe for Chicago. I know how gross and overcast it can be there, so just think of how much you'll stand out! Oh wait. You probably don't want to stand out what with the whole…_thing…_and you already standing out since you're famous and all. But it can't hurt to add at least one pink accessory to your ensemble! I mean really, it won't hurt. I can promise you that. And I swear, I will track down whatever bastard took the…_thing_…and I will unleash my inner…oh fuck! I'm getting pulled over. Well this is just unacceptable. Don't worry! I will be there ASAP! I'm sure this cop will understand that coming to the rescue of THE Gabriella Montez."

"Sharpay, you really don't have to come over," Gabriella said, knowing her efforts were futile. She was proven correct when she was completely ignored.

"Oh, hello, officer! I know I was going a little over the speed limit…okay, forty-five over the speed limit, but you see, I have a rescue package to deliver to _Gabriella Montez_, the actress, and…"

Gabriella didn't wait to listen to the rest of the conversation as she looked up into her boyfriend's eyes. He gave her a sympathetic smile, not even needing to hear the one-sided conversation to know that the blonde would be making an unwanted appearance.

Yeah, they needed to get the fuck out of Los Angeles.

**Next up: Chicago!**


End file.
